A tiny treat.

Sugar, baking powder, peanut butter, and an egg. Four simple ingredients made my day.


After skipping a few yummy desserts (with gluten) during the Christmas celebrations, this easy peanut butter cookies hit the spot.


The Gluten-Free Girl knows the joy these little babies can bring.


Add a cup of tea.

A perfect compliment to the new year. Enjoy!

Delicate Beauty

I woke this morning to fluffy snow, delicately frosted windowboxes and exquisitely etched window panes. A gift from God, for those of us "dreaming of a white Christmas".

Reminescing about childhood and past Christmases is part of our holiday tradition. We love the possibilities of where, the old adage, "Remember when" will take us.

Remember when we were kids and it snowed so much it was deeper than the windowsills ? When we spent hours in the yard building snowforts and snowmen, when we went in to get another pair of dry socks or mittens just so we could play longer and when hot chocolate was waiting for us when we were finally too cold ?

We caught the last hour of "The Wizard of Oz" the other night. Oddly enough, my husband and I were able to recite most of the words and songs. Okay, some eye rolling did occur from our kids and a visiting friend. That just added to our fun. And just as we remembered, the footage is still amazing for its' time, the witch is still really ugly and the flying monkeys remain just as creepy.

And maybe our age has something to do with it, but we just can't seem to get enough of the "feel-good" Christmas Classics. You know the ones, where in the end, everyone realizes that it's people that really matter.

On Christmas Eve some of our family will come to visit and we'll eat lots of yummy treats, each family bringing something to share. We'll remember "old times" and laugh at the same old jokes.

We'll eat the same dishes we eat every year and we'll share the same stories, some we'll know well enough to recite line by line. Some eye rolling may even appear. But no one will mind.

Because in the end we'll be happy just to be together and we'll remember... it's the people that really matter.

Knitting with purpose

Amazing how a cold day can put the importance of warmth and shelter into perspective. I really don't like being cold...and I can bet that most people feel that way.


It is winter in New England so frigid weather is to be expected. While I do enjoy the snow and some winter sports, I have learned the importance of being "dressed for the weather".

And now that I am long past the teen years, wearing a hat does seem like a smart idea.

Such a simple piece of clothing, but with a big purpose. I guess my Aunt Hazel knew this.


Aunt Hazels' fence bordered our elementary school playground and she could see (and hear) us at recess. Remember recess? The carefree fun of tag and hopscotch, snowmen and snow angels.

We were even allowed to sled down the hill (back in those days). Fun times ! One rule applied for the sledding hill...you must have proper attire. Including boots, mittens and HAT.

Most of us had our boots and mittens... but HAT ?

This is where my little Auntie played a pivitol role in our winter happiness. Thankfully, Auntie was an avid knitter of HATS.

She knit them all year long and by the time September came around, she had a huge plastic bag filled with hats of all sizes and colors. And the best part is that she made them available to us at recess.

Remember "a hat on the head, means you can sled".

Imagine the power of that hat. It could take us from watching the sledding fun, to swooshing down the hill. AND it kept us warm.Thanks Aunt Hazel.

I will tell you that my Aunt had many grandchildren, neices and nephews that attended this school, and I'm sure her hat knitting, in the beginning, was intended for us. Somehow it spilled over to our friends and classmates and then to the school.

Just recently I discovered the Save the Children campaign Knit One, Save One. Imagine the simple act of kindness in giving a hat and the impact it can make.

I know it well.

Blustery day.

After a blustery day, soup sounded like a perfect dinner. I chose a recipe from Shauna Aherns book The Gluten-free Girl. Just a bit of unsalted butter and olive oil bubbling in the pan....add 5 cloves of crushed garlic.

Onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms, of course. Saute for several minutes.

Did I happen to mention that I went to the gym today? Exercised for just over 30 min. Felt pretty good, too. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up "light cream" for the soup. Well, I sure was thirsty and hungry so I grabbed a low-fat chocolate milk. Haven't had one of those in a long time.

I was picturing Christy Brinkley in her "got milk" add. You know that studies show adding milk to your diet "could" help you loose weight. (not sure if that includes chocolate)

Anyway, I spun the bottle around to check the calorie count, just to make sure. 170 calories. Not bad.

It was soooo good....I drank the whole thing.

Pleased with my choice, I smiled and took another self-confirming look at the back of the bottle. Yep! 170 chocolatey calories. Per SERVING. Of which I had TWO. Whoops!

I enjoyed a nice salad when I got home.

Okay, back to the soup. Add fresh Thyme to your vegetable medley. I happened to have some left in the garden so Bella and I headed out.

It was a good excuse to get outside. The sky had cleared and the sun was peeking though the clouds.

I picked some celery leaves during my garden visit. Then I thought "I'll find a few toadstools to decorate the table" for my mushroom soup debut.

No luck.

But, I did find these beautiful lacey branches.

Oops ! Back to the soup.

Add the fresh Thyme. 3 tablespoons of Rice Flour, 1/2 cup of Sherry. (I looked for sherry at the store. Not really sure where to find it.)I sure hope White Wine will do. I found German Guwerstiwermer. (I just liked the name).

Cook until the wine is reduced by half. Then add water (1 inch over veggies). Simmer for a bit then....

blend until smooth. Add the cream, salt and pepper.

It sure doesn't look like the stuff from the can. A bit sunny-orange hued from the carrots.

I jazzed it up with some blue corn chips crumbled on top.( Complimentary colors, don't ja know.) then... added a drizzle of olive oil to finish it off. Just for fun.

It turned out warm and delicious!

Just what the day called for.

More deliciousness !!!

Have spent the past week enjoying the amazing colors of fall, perfectly blended with the temperate tastes of an Indian Summer.
Headed up through the Notch with a stop at the Basin.

The Mount Washington Valley Airport. A nice day for a flight.This is ONE way to forecast the weather.

The Sandwich Fair is a must.


French Fries and fresh-squeezed lemondade. Delicious !

Garlic Schmarlic !

Don't you just love that name ?

I found this fun dip mix in the Gluten-Free section. The first time I made it was while at my sister's house. We ate the entire bowl of dip one evening. That might not sound unreasonable (to us anyway) but it was SO loaded with garlic our stomachs were killing us all night.

Can you believe I purchased another box? The flavor is incredible.

This time I decided to use it with a bit more caution (less piggish) and sprinkle it in fresh green beans for a hint of garlic flavor.

I gently steamed the green beans so they wouldn't be all mushy, then tossed with a bit of olive oil and added a bit of Garlic Schmarlic. Yum!!!

For the main dish, I picked some fresh Rosemary for the oven roasted chicken breast, put a smidge of olive oil in the pan then added the chicken breast, a few sprigs of Rosemary, a slice of lemon, a squeeze of lemon juice, sea salt and crushed black pepper. Very simply, very tasty !

The rice was cooked on top of the stove. Again, a bit of olive oil (about 1 tbsp ) some salt and pepper. I snipped some fresh dill on top when done.

Needed a bit of color and carrots fit the bill. I peeled the carrots, decided to leave them long and tossed them into a baking dish brushed with, what else, olive oil, added salt, pepper and dusted lightly with ginger. Just before they finished baking I added brown sugar and let it bake a bit longer.

Yummy !!!


Now a confession.


I've discovered that there is soooo much fabulous food I can eat on a gluten-free diet. I am thankful.

But.....apparently I've been eating as though gluten-free also means calorie free.


Whoops !


I'll be at the gym tomorrow.

Fictional cooking

Heidi Swanson's cookbook arrived today.

It was recommended by the Gluten-Free Girl. Give her site a peek. She offers so much more than just recipes. She shares bits and pieces of her "new world" with Chef husband and baby.

Just joyful!!!

Oh, did I tell you, I collect cookbooks? Not so much for cooking, but for the stories and pictures. For years I have been reading cookbooks... much like works of Fiction.

Really, who but a Fictional character would go to the ends of the earth to gather exotic ingredients, to spend hours in the kitchen slicing, measuring, mincing, beating, and waiting. And THEN, sacrifice more time in the kitchen cleaning up the mess just made?

Okay, so I have a long way to go in embracing the cooking world and it may not be an easy task.


But, I am determined to move my cookbook collection to the Non-Fiction section of my life and give it a whirl.

Learning to cook.

Okay, so if you really know me...it is obvious, I am NOT a cook. I am not very good at it and I don't particularly care for it.

I think my lack of enthusiasm began when the kids went off school and extracurricular activities began to run our lives. There was no longer time to "slice and dice" or "create a cream sauce". Meals became rushed and the "shove it in the oven" menu emerged.

Chicken nuggets, french fries, fish sticks, canned corn, and casseroles were our household staples...And my secret to quickly getting "meals to table"..... crank up the oven to 450.

This really did speed things up.

So much.... that I didn't even have to set a timer. And trust me, I could really make those 15-20 minutes of bake time count by throwing in a load of laundry, helping with homework or laying things out for our next harried day.

And when the smoke alarm went off, my family knew.... supper was ready.

We did actually sit down to eat our meals as a family and even managed some meaningful conversations...

I'm glad to say that we finally realized we needed to slow our pace, but my "quick" cooking habits remained. I think I convinced myself I couldn't cook anyway (that happens if the smoke alarm sounds to signify your meal is done).

Now, at 43...I have discovered I have gluten-intolerance (Celiac). That means no wheat, no store-bought bread, and for sure no chicken nuggets or fish sticks. So, I find myself in the kitchen...reading labels, trying new recipes, learning to cook. We'll see how it goes.

Miracles happen...every day !

Just a nose,


then a head,
...and feet.

a little help

(no privacy)

a little more...

Phil did have to give a slight tug.

Here I am.

Oh happy day !

I'm here!