The Apricot Chronicles, Part 1

This week, a family from my church gave me the privilege of picking fresh apricots from their tree in the backyard. There's nothing quite like fresh fruit--juicy, still warm from the summer sun...yummy! :)

How to Blanch (and peel) Fresh Fruit

Meals that Freeze Well

This has been on my mind lately, so I thought I'd share it:
Father's Day four years ago was a time I will never forget. And it didn't really have much of anything to do with the actual holiday, except that it made it a day where I always remember. Four years today, actually. Read more in my previous blog post here. Then you can come back to this page :)

Chocolate Pudding Pie

For those of you who have seen the movie The Help, I hope you'll forgive me for putting in this recipe for Chocolate Pudding Pie...Hopefully it won't scare you away, and you'll still try this! I promise, the only mystery ingredients in this pie are good-for-you ingredients! ;)

Never too much ice cream :)

I've been saving this one...And at this point, you may be sick of all my ice cream posts. But you haven't seen the last of them! And with it being summer and all, I thought it appropriate to share this recipe for Coconut Chai ice cream. 
Maybe I should just do a whole month of ice cream recipes! :)

Summer...

It's summer! I took this photo a few days ago while driving...

We have been having the weirdest summer weather this week. Earlier in the week, it rained for a couple days, and then it's been overcast and misty for the rest of the week...Very strange for West Texas. But I'm not complaining :) I love the moisture, and I know it's helping the farmers in our area....Yay for no more drought! :)

When Friends Gather

Having just finished a week-long vacation with my family, of course I wanted to come home and immediately duplicate some of the yummy things that I tasted there. Over the next several posts, I'm going to share some recipes that I felt deserved special recognition.

My own tips for traveling GF

I've been out of the loop when it comes to blogging, because my family and I have been on our "summer vacation" this past week. This was our first trip to Cancun :)
(More travel posts to come...)

A small glimpse at how my family travels...

A time to laugh...

I wrote this post before reading today's Joy Dare, but considering that, I think this is appropriate:

Did you know that laughter can lower blood pressure, decrease harmful stress hormones, strengthen your immune system, and increase creativity and motivation? It also just feels good :) So, with that in mind, I thought I would share with you a few laughter moments of my week.

Learning gratitude...

 Permit me to diverge from my normal blog pattern for a moment, and share a little of what's been on my heart (nudged by this post on gratefulness, and this beautiful site that inspires me to try to "capture beauty" with my camera).

Pistachio Ice Cream!

So...incidentally, this is my 100th post, and I am so excited to share it!!
Mainly because it involves ice cream :)

Sharing the wealth...

Sorry, I never got around to writing a Mother's Day blog post...Although I read some very inspirational ones (food blogs and not). Here are a few of my favorites that I thought I'd share:

Fig and Walnut Muffins

At the writing of this post, I just made these on the spur of the moment in my kitchen tonight. This recipe resulted as a mixture of inspiration from this basic muffin base from Elana's Pantry, this post from Daily Bites, my new-found love for figs, the current contents of my pantry, and my urgent need to bake something now.

Zucchini "pizzas"

 

 These yummy veggies are adapted from Proud Italian Cook. They are a quick, refreshing way for me to get my "pizza fix" :)

It's the little things...

OK, so I was so excited that I had to post this...!

Tonight, I just finished putting together this chocolate "pudding" from Sugar Free Mom. It's mystery ingredient? Avocados.

Gluten-Free Bagels

Bagels--the most current challenge for the Gluten Free Ratio Rally. Using tips from here and here, the ratio I came up with is a little different... 2.21 parts flour, and 1 part liquid. (?? Don't ask why, this is just the amount that worked out for me...)

Dear Sweet Tea, where have you been all my life??

With summer quickly approaching (it's already been over 100 degrees F this week where I live, at least once), I thought it was high time I posted another beverage to this blog, as it seems I've neglected this department ;) When I first went gluten-free, refined sugar free, I thought that I'd said goodbye forever to sweet tea...I used to love making it when friends came over, and I'll never forget the first time I discovered how to make "sun tea"! :) Well, now, thanks to inspiration from one of my friends, I have discovered the art of making sweet tea with agave nectar (or honey). You can do it for individual servings, or for a whole pitcher--though ultimately, you can sweeten (or not sweeten) to taste. A perfect addition to your next cookout or picnic!

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

This recipe was what I would call a success! I especially think that when I take it to a group gathering, and the non-GF eaters are enjoying it and asking for the recipe! :)

Pâté á choux--Not as hard as it sounds

When I first heard about April's "Go Ahead, Honey, It's Gluten Free" challenge, I knew I had to be a part of it this month. Z's Cup of Tea is hosting. For the month of April, the challenge is to make some kind of food from a favorite children's book--whether from when you were growing up, or one that you may have discovered more recently.

Six months :)

Yes, I have made it gluten free for six months :)

As a celebration, of course I had to do something having to do with tea...Although it's spring, and some may be transitioning to drinking more cold tea, I think hot tea is still good in the early morning chill, or as a calming ritual before bed.