A Little Love

Valentine's Day is a day that can be so fun. I have great memories from my childhood, which is probably why I still love it today. My Mom always did something special and unexpected even though she was always busy working. Every year was a little different, which was part of the fun. I have enjoyed continuing that tradition with my own family.

Of course, like many of you, I am always busy so it has to be easy. Valentine's falls in the middle of the week so the evening will be busy with homework, sports and extra activities. I think breakfast together is a great way to start the day. Raspberry, cherry or cranberry muffins are beautiful for Valentine's Day. They are quick and easy to make ahead of time and are great with an omelet, quiche or scrambled eggs. If there isn't time for breakfast, the muffins can be fun to put in their lunch bags with a little Valentine note.

Everyone just wants to know that they are loved on Valentine's Day. It doesn't have to take a lot of money or time to show someone that they are special to you. It is also a wonderful time to think of your friends, family or neighbors that might be feeling a little lonely. It makes all of the difference in their day to know that someone has thought of them! So, give a little love!

Happy Thanksgiving

While our Thanksgiving table is always full of traditional favorites, I also like to include something a little unexpected each year. This year I have made Pumpkin Toffee to add to the desert table. It is great on its own, can be sprinkled over pumpkin pie or cheesecake, and makes a fun gift to send home with your guests at the end of the evening.

In addition to Thanksgiving, this Pumpkin Toffee will be great to have on hand for the upcoming holidays. The recipe is gluten, egg and nut-free, which covers all of my neighbors allergies.

Now, I guess it is time to start thinking about the Turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving!



PUMPKIN SEED TOFFEE

Place a large sheet of aluminum foil in a 9 X 13 pan so the edges hang over the sides. Grease the aluminum foil with butter.

In a heavy saucepan heat:

1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Butter
3 Tablespoons Water
1 Cup Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
1/8 Teaspoon Cloves
1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Cook and stir constantly over medium heat for about ten minutes or until a candy thermometer reaches 295 degrees. Remove from the heat and pour into prepared dish. Spread out evenly with a spatula. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Break into bite-size pieces and store in airtight container.

Happy Halloween

How adorable are these skeleton cookies? My sister always loved decorating cookies for the holidays. I loved how they looked, but I didn't really have the patience to sit for hours making detailed decorations when they were just going to be gobbled up. I love these skeletons because they are so cute, but really quick and easy to decorate.

Fun for all ages and perfect for every Halloween occassion. Even the smallest hands are capable of making a pretty great looking skeleton, so everyone can participate in the fun. Great for kids parties as well as adults. Serve a big tray of them or wrap up individually to send home with guests. They make a special gift for teachers or leave one at your best friends door. Wrap up carefully and bring a smile to your favorite college student or just surprise your little goblins!

The recipes used were Chocolate Cookie Cutouts (p.121) and Vanilla Frosting (p. 154) from my cookbook, or use your favorite recipes. Use a gingerbread man cookie cutter to make cookies. Once cookies have cooled, place frosting in a ziploc bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Hold the bag in hands to draw circle shapes with the frosting for the rib cage. Then make arms and legs. One quick circle completes the head and two dots for eyes complete your skeleton.

Quick, easy and adorable!

Happy Halloween!

Bake for a Friend

I love spending time with great friends. Often these moments are so great because they revolve around the delicious food that we were sharing in that moment. We laugh a little harder and stay a little longer when we are lingering over delicious food that has been lovingly prepared for us. Just this week I received a very kind thank you from a woman who shared this kind of moment with her friends.

Early in the summer I received an email from a woman who was throwing a shower for her girl friend. She was looking forward to this event, but naturally a little concerned given that her friend was gluten-intoherent. She wanted to try the Carrot Cake recipe from my cookbook and had a few questions before she got started.

I heard back from her this week and this is what she had to say. "I wanted to let you know how fantastic the carrot cake was for my shower! I bought a gluten free chocolate cake from a local bakery (very expensive) and your cake was WAY BETTER than that one! "

I was very happy to hear that her shower was such a success. It is always so rewarding to pull something from the oven that looks beautiful and that tastes amazing and then share with our friends and loved ones. I am about to do that very same thing. I have Buckwheat Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Bars baking in the oven that smell incredible! I know they will taste great and be even better when I share them with our friends coming over for a last minute Autumn get together.

So, who do you want to bake for?

Happy Autumn!

Gluten-Free Fair

Each year I look forward to seeing all of the new gluten-free products available. What better way to find out than to go to the annual Gluten-Free Fair. Each year gets bigger and better with so much to offer. This year the Gluten-Free Fair will be held at the Denver Merchandise Mart on August 21st. It is a great time to try samples of new products. You will find many local companies as well as national vendors to choose from. This event is free for the whole family to attend from 10am to 4pm.

Denver Merchandise Mart
451 E. 58th Ave.
Denver, Colorado 80216

Holiday Jam

As the holidays are quickly approaching, I wanted to share a great tip with you. For years I have set aside one day to make fresh jam. I know it is hard to believe, but it actually makes the holidays much easier. Let me explain why... I am prepared with a great hostess gift for a last minute dinner party. I can make a quick and thoughtful gift by adding a fresh basket of muffins for a neighbor or teacher. I am prepared with a quick and easy appetizer by pouring jam over cream cheese and serving with crackers. Unexpected guests are no problem, just warm up a little jam to pour over vanilla ice cream or even cheesecake. Homemade jam is something everyone loves and truly appreciates.

Not only is this gift for our friends and families, but this gift has really become a gift to me and my children. Traditions often happen without even realizing it, which is what happened when I began making jam. My children were always underfoot in the kitchen, so I would give them a little job they could do while watching me cook. Making jam was no different. They loved to make labels and decorations for the jars. We would spend the entire day together in the kitchen laughing and singing, making our gifts together. Today my kids could make jam all on their own, but they still look forward to this time together.

I have always felt that the kitchen is the heart of our home. The best gift we can give is one from our heart! Happy Holidays from our home to yours!


Cranberry~Peach Jam

7 Cups chopped Peaches
3 Cups fresh Cranberries, whole or chopped
1 Cup Jalapenos (optional)
6 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice

In large stockpot, bring fruit to simmer on high heat, stirring often. Constantly stirring, add the sugar 1/2 cup at a time and bring liguid back up to a simmer.Add lemon juice. Continue stirring constantly and boil on high until liguid reaches 210 degrees. Remove from heat and quickly ladle into sterile jam jars. Once new sterile lids are tightly in place, turn jars upside down for 15-20 minutes to seal. Place jars right side up and cool completely before storing.

*Frozen peaches and cranberries may be used. Thaw fruit before cooking.

Delectable Peaches

I am lucky enough to have a great big beautiful peach tree in my back yard. It was an unexpected gift, since we had purchased our house in January and no one had mentioned anything about a peach tree. Coincidentally, we spent most of that summer in California for my husband's job. We came home in the fall to find each branch bent to the ground covered with golden peaches. It was amazing that the branches didn't break. The kids were so excited that they ate peaches until they couldn't move.

That was ten years ago, and I can't tell you how much this tree means to me. It sits right outside my office window. I watch it change day by day through the seasons. It sparkles with winters snow, shimmy's with springs leaves, shades from the hot summer sun, and shares it's golden fall harvest. The anticipation almost becomes too much, but it is so worth the wait. This week I watched, as softball size peaches dropped one by one onto the grassy bed below. Then as if hunting Easter eggs, my children gathered the delicate fruit. Of course, it isn't long before the sticky juice is running to the tips of their elbows. Grinning from ear to ear, they are savoring the moment knowing it will be a long year until next years harvest. I know too, that I don't have long before they have grown and moved away, so I am savoring the moment with them.

We often aren't even aware of when our food creates a tradition and when our traditions create food. So many people feel that their traditions will be lost when becoming gluten-free, but the truth is that new traditions will be found. We just have to embrace the gift and watch it change day by day, season by season, savoring the unexpected!