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!