New Blog For Gluten Free living

Check out my new blog if it's of any interest to you:

http://celiacmommy.blogspot.com

It's still a little in the workings and there is ALOT more to put on there. But it is a start, so if it is helpful to you please check back often and I hope it is a blessing to you.

Who Says Parents Don't Take As Many Photos After Their First Kid?

Me and Madelynn

The Hefty 10 pounder (it's all in those chins)

Weighed In

The kids and I went to the Doctor's yesterday. Madelynn weighs about 10 lbs! She is 7 weeks old tomorrow (Friday) and is doing great. She eats every three hours and is getting chubbier. Her sweet head smells so good and she is practicing her smile. Madelynn goes to bed (on average) at about 9pm, eats at about 2am and then sleeps until 6 or 6:30am. Bliss. I like easy babies.

Joshua has VBS (Vacation Bible School) this week. It's everyday (five days) but to maintain emotional stability within our family Joshua goes Mon, Wed, and Fri and then there is a carnival Friday night. So far Josh has learned about loving God (Josh loves God by hugging Madelynn, throwing the diaper away, wiping the spit up and giving Madelynn her nuk) and trusting God. The challenge (the homework) for trusting God is to draw a picture on how Joshua trusts God. We will probably do that today.

Rachel, well, Rachel is a two year old. She is growing like crazy thanks to the gluten free diet. Her vocab is growing everyday and is learning her social graces, slowly.

Joel has lots of work this summer. So much actually, that it is getting difficult to get time off of work. Joel is also busy planning two missions trips for our church. One is a weekend trip to insulate an attic in another Baptist church about two hours away. This will help immensely with their heating costs. The second mission trip is to minister to children at a summer Hispanic Family camp. It's exciting to see our church go beyond our comfort zone to reach out to others- those going on the mission trips and those staying home tending to their children. (yes I'll be staying home while Joel leads these trips. Pray for all of us as we serve others, here at home and far away)

Sorghum Bread Recipe

This is one of our favorite bread recipes, gluten free of course!

Sorghum Bread (by Bette Hagman- “Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread” Cookbook)

Dry Ingredients:

1 ½ Cup Sorghum Flour

Take a 3/4 Cup and fill it with 3 Tb of Quinoa Flour, fill the rest of the cup with Tapioca Flour

¾ Cup Cornstarch

1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seed

1 Tb Xanthan or Guar Gum

½ Cup Dry Milk Powder or nondairy Substitute

¾ tsp Salt

2 ½ tsp Unflavored gelatin

1 Tb Egg Replacer

2 Tb Sugar

Liquid Ingredients:

2 eggs

3 ¾ Tb butter or margarine

¾ tsp Dough enhancer or vinegar

1 Cup + 2-4 Tb Water (more or less)

2 1/2 tsp yeast

If using an oven: Grease your chosen pan(s) and dust with rice flour.

The water temp will be different for hand mixing and for bread machines. For hand mixing have it about 110 F; for your bread machine, read the directions in the manual.

For both hand mixing and machine mixing, combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl or the bowl of your heavy duty mixer, whisk the eggs slightly, and add the dough enhancer, butter (cut in chunks), and most of the water. The remaining water should be added as needed after the bread has started mixing, either in the mixer or in the pan of your bread machine.

For Hand mixing: Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients (including the yeast) a little at a time. Check to be sure the dough is the right consistency (like cake batter). Add more of the reserved water as necessary. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 ½ minutes. Spoon into the prepared pan(s), cover, and let rise in a warm place about 35-45 minutes for rapid-rising yeast, 60 or more for regular yeast or until the dough reaches the top of the pan. Bake in a preheated 400 F oven for 50-60 minutes, covering after 10 minutes with aluminum foil.

For Bread machine: Place the ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested in the machine manual. Use the setting for 1 ½ lb loaf, medium crust.

The Prodigal God

Joel has read The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller, and is reading it again with a group of other guys. I have just finished the third chapter.

Here's a short review:

"Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way."

It is very good and I recommend reading it. It's easy to read, but full of depth and conviction.