Rudi's Bread

Rudi's sent me a box of bread a few days ago to taste and review. I'm learning I shouldn't post reviews! I must have handled this bread incorrectly, each loaf has such a different consistency but a surprisingly good flavor. Keep in mind I haven't had "normal" bread in 8 years now, so bread is a big deal to me!

I put the multigrain and sandwich bread in the freezer right away, and kept out the raisin bread. After trying the raisin bread in the toaster (way too hard and I mean h a r d ) I have found it's a pretty yummy treat if you microwave it, butter it, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it! It is not a sweet bread like Pillsbury, it's more savory. I prefer sweet so I drowned it in cinnamon sugar and it was really tasty!

I put the multigrain bread in the fridge last night from the freezer, and when you microwave that it literally will disintegrate in your hands. Once I toasted two slices instead it was pretty good with some miracle whip and bologna! However, I still had to hold the edges of the sandwich or my finger went right through to the bologna. Maybe I did something wrong storing it in the freezer? It tastes wonderful, don't get me wrong, but this is not going to replace what I regularly use until I find out why it fell apart and how to make it not fall apart again ;) I wonder if I could spread peanut butter on the sandwich bread... it's still in the freezer awaiting a taste test!

Yes, it's a rant

I went on another blog based on being gluten free, actually found a number of them, looking at recipes that sounded awesome until I started reading the ingredients. I never should have started looking, because I got angrier and angrier as I went along. Every recipe not only called for five to seven types of flour, but if I were to seriously start cooking like that we would have to live like paupers otherwise to afford all of the ingredients!!! Seriously?! No wonder half of the people I meet who have celiac disease would rather eat gluten than deal with the diet, wow!!

Now I want to first say that I am "normal". I know we all think we are the norm until we find out we aren't, but seriously - if you made an omelet with anything that COULD go in an omelet that is currently in my fridge you would have two vegetables, eggs, and cheese. I have normal meats such as burger, pork chops, and boneless skinless chicken breasts thawing for dinners. I have boxed mac and cheese, white rice, and sweet potatoes!! The sites I happened across had photos of quiche for example that I would never put in my mouth there was so much in it. I'm all for being healthy but I refuse to eat something that has all my daily servings of everything in one dish. I love quiche, but not with my backyard in it! Who ever decided that because I have celiac disease I want to suddenly become a vegetarian, or never eat real sugar again? Good lord am I tired of tasting things that use "organic cane juice" for a sweetener!! WHITE SUGAR IS GOOD!!!!! I don't understand.

Is it because if someone is going to put the effort into making a product gluten free they need to make it free of every allergen on earth so it sells more???? Honey I would pay the extra two bucks for the ten cookies in the already $5 package if they TASTED LIKE REAL COOKIES!!! I have celiac disease - that does NOT mean I am allergic to milk, eggs, sugar, soy, nuts,... ... well I'm not. I do feel sorry for anyone who does have a laundry list of allergens, but for the love of pete do we all have to suffer with tasteless food together?

I know, I am ranting. When I eat a crumb of gluten I throw up for an hour or so and have diarrhea for 10 to 12 hours on and off. Fun, right? So yes, I have to adhere to a very strict gluten free diet. I also understand a lot about medical issues, and I know that having a disease that carries "malnutrition" on it's label can really hurt your body if you're not careful. I did not have "active" celiac disease until I was rear ended by a woman going 60+ mph which forced me into preterm labor with my first born. He was born at 32 weeks and by some freak of nature was perfectly fine. Within three months I weighed 90 pounds and was on weight gainers. I know darn well that is when I became symptomatic. Seven years later I was diagnosed. So for seven years my body was robbed of calcium for my bones, iron for my blood, I missed a lot. But it was only seven years. Most celiac sufferers are robbed of a lot more, and don't even realize what damage could already have been done.

I don't want to "settle" on crappy food anymore, so I guess I'll stick to my Udi's gluten free bread and make two sandwiches at once (teeny pieces), keep making up more good recipes and keep adding to my list of gluten free goodies. The ones that taste the best are gluten free by nature, like reese's cups and bananas. M&M's and ripe peaches! Mmmmm, starburst jelly beans.

And by the way, I am still eternally grateful to The Gluten Free Pantry for their AMAZINGLY good and easy to use all purpose flour!!! DON'T EVER STOP MAKING FLOUR!!!!!

Mmmmm Udi's Gluten Free Bread!

There is not much that can make me smile more after a long day of school and shopping, than honey peanut butter and raspberry jam spread on white Udi's sandwich bread. I LOVE SANDWICHES!! Thank you Udi's, for such wonderful bread. Now if you could just make the loaf of bread bigger... ;)

Easter Doodle Pro?

Happy Easter!! We had a great day, hope you did too!! Egg hunts, family, good laughs, and Steak and Shake for milkshakes and fries for a fun afternoon snack!! The boys love the experience of sitting in the restaurant dipping fries in ketchup, wearing the hats they colored, slurping banana milkshakes. I just love being able to eat gluten free fries and cheese sauce ;) Ok, the banana milkshakes are really good too!

We spent the morning trying to figure out how to erase the egg shaped "doodle pro" (will always be a magnadoodle to me) since they don't have the slidey thing down the side... and after finally finding the answer in a review of the product on amazon we figured out you use the back of the pen and rub the backside of the screen to erase it. Could they have maybe PUT THAT BIT ON THE PACKAGE??? Yep, my mother and I sat together this morning looking at each other like the world had finally turned on us. We were thankful for the internet this morning, we never would have figured it out otherwise!!!

Rudi's Bakery?

So I got an email awhile back asking if I would send someone my home address and such, so I could sample some Rudi's Gluten Free bread. I honestly thought it was phishing, since I already eat "Udi's" bread, and the names are one letter off. I forwarded the email to an address I found on Rudi's site, and it turns out it was legit!! They are sending me bread to taste test then tell all of you about, yay! I have hated every single bite of store bought gluten free bread until Udi's, so this is a major test for me. I sure hope it's good, but then again I have never seen it at any local stores... I may have to venture out to Whole Foods again someday soon! *I do all of my shopping including my gluten free stuff at local grocery stores, paying the exorbitant costs of "natural food" stores is just silly in my opinion!!

I'll let you know how the bread is!! :)

Being a Mom

I had quite the realization hit me last Saturday. I had a horrible shopping experience at Kohl's, one of those that make you want to cry you are so angry at someone. Well, you want to cry because you can't do what you REALLY want to someone. It was one of those days, after many of those days strung into weeks. My husband had gone on a business trip, leaving me to handle our three boys. I had my mother come stay with us, she was a huge help, but it wasn't the same. While I was backing my SUV up in a Publix parking lot, the lady in the teeny red car behind me was backing up too and hit me. I couldn't see her, don't have a clue how she didn't see me. One of the boys threw a hot wheels and it hit me on that little flap of sensitive skin that sticks out of your ear, which sent a dazzling spray of pain through my head. I bought next school year's math used, and was sold the second edition book and the first edition's solutions... which don't match. See what I mean, one of those strings of bad days?

Well, Saturday as I drove home from Kohl's, I found myself turning the music way up, I love loud music. I caught myself remembering how good it felt to floor my old Camaro. The rush of the smell of gasoline, the car hurtling to 60, the sound the engine made, I suddenly missed all of that. I started remembering what it felt like to be surrounded my car nuts like I used to be - to sit and smoke a cigarette and just "be" for five minutes. I realized I never just "be" anymore, there is always laundry, or dishes, or homework, or "I pee potty mommy" waiting in line. I realized I don't know a single woman with whom I have much in common with, other than being a mother. No one I know likes to work on cars, and honestly I haven't touched one myself in years now. No one I know just up and paints their walls, cabinets, etc. when they don't like the way they look, they ask their husbands to do it or hire someone. I don't even really know many women who like to garden like I do! I don't know if it's that I'm too busy to notice others, or if it's just that I have no hobbies anymore... but I miss having friends that are similar to me. The few friends that I do have are like me - so busy with their own lives and families that we really don't have time for each other. We remember each other once every few months and call, maybe get together for an afternoon, but that's it. Is that how everyone is?

I say all of that knowing I have no time to meet people, and don't really have much time to devote to a friendship. I am married to my best friend, and am thankful for that every day. However - I realized I miss having some "me time" and I don't know how to do that anymore. I live to serve my family, and it's by choice! We bought a somewhat large house, so I have lots of cleaning to do, but knew that going into the deal. I have three boys, and I love being their mom! I chose to homeschool because the school system wasn't giving my son the education he deserved. I knew going into that venture that I would never again have a "day off" from things. That I couldn't Christmas shop without a babysitter anymore! I am a very busy person, because of the type of person I am. I don't let anything lay around waiting to be done, I am a "doer" not a procrastinator. If there are dishes in the sink I have to do them. If there is a baby gate that needs to be moved I just move it. If something needs to be fixed I just fix it. When I found out I needed braces as an adult, I just went and got them. I don't leave things hanging unless I see a reason to delay doing them.

All of that being said I have come to the conclusion that I have lost "me". I have no hobbies anymore, there is nothing that I do for myself really. I did buy myself four pairs of dangly earrings last month, on a whim, and they make me feel nice when I wear them. Otherwise, I am grocery shopping, going over alleles and fractions and decimals, cleaning something, potty training, planning next year's curriculum schedule, weeding a garden, the list goes on and on but it's all for someone else. My husband is wonderful, he rubs my feet when I ask him to and even volunteers to sometimes - those moments are wonderful, when I can just lay and relax, try not to think of anything. The hobbies I had when I was younger were really for younger people who do not have children and house payments - I sold the cars and everything that went with them years ago, and going to dance clubs is for twenty somethings. I quit smoking when we decided to go off the pill, but that's not really a hobby, it's a habit... but it was a release! I don't ever drink alcohol anymore, what if a child woke up and needed me?

I wonder what grown ups do when they don't have children...

Cats

Have you ever had one of those days where you just look at a cat and dream of being one? To have no responsibility, play with anything that looks fun, never worry about your weight, be totally taken care of and sleep most of the day?

Homeschool Book SCORE!!

I went to a homeschool bookstore today that is closing it's doors, and almost everything in the store is 50% off. I SCORED!!! I found Saxon 87 and the solutions book for $12, and Saxon Algebra 1 with the solutions, tests manual, and homeschool packet for $30. I got the Prentice Hall Literature book for 7th grade and 9th grade, yay!! I also scored all of the books in the Prentice Hall World Explorer Series - used and in excellent condition, for $3 a book! WOOHOO!!!!! After we saved so much on the next few years' curriculum we decided to "splurge" and bought a new copy of Latina Christiana's student workbook, which rounds out our latin curriculum. We haven't started latin yet, we're going to wait until we are officially in 7th grade. It'll go with the history we plan to study, ancient greece and the roman empire.

Shades CAN make a difference!

I went to Lowe's to buy one shade for one of our front windows, and found an entire shelf system full of levelor shades on clearance - and I mean clearance! I ended up getting new shades for every window in the front of our house, and paid $33 for 12 shades and $12 for all the mounting brackets. We were able to take the insulating blanket out of the playroom window finally, and I splurged and bought the fan shade for the half circle window too!! Now every window out front has the same shade on it, it looks so uniform and NICE!!! I have really been wanting to do this not just for looks, but because our house bakes in the sun all afternoon it gets really really hot. Putting up the room darkening shades has effectively blocked most of the heat coming from the windows, the front rooms are now so much cooler, on both floors! BONUS!!!

Thank you, Lowe's! This is the first time I have gone to Lowe's for anything - we live down south so Home Depot and Lowe's are right across the street from each other, literally. I like the behr paint from Home Depot, so it just became our store by default. Guess I'm a cheater now ;)

Jello Temptations Are Gluten Free!

Well, some of them are at least!! I tried the raspberry cheesecake ones today, and they were rather "bleh". They tasted ok, but the texture was really weird and it didn't taste much like cheesecake. Maybe if they named it something else I would like the taste? I think my expectations got in the way of enjoying this much. Thank goodness kraft first taste gave me a coupon to get them for free, not worth paying for!!!

However - my mom and husband say the chocolate mint ones are awesome! Every one I looked at was gluten free (the only two flavors Publix had) so maybe I'll find a different non-cheesecake flavor that I like. In the meantime, I'll eat my homemade chocolate dream cookies (dark chocolate, omg yum) and be completely satisfied :)

Ok, I'm going to promote Udi's Bread for a minute!

I have been making bread from The Gluten Free Pantry's sandwich bread mix for a few years now. I hate making bread, I have to have the time to mix it, leave it someplace warm to rise where the cats and kids won't mess with it... then I have to remember to get it before it rises too much, and have the time to sit and wait for it to come out of the oven. Some days that is just asking too much, and I end up making it four or five times a year. Seriously, that's the only time I eat bread and half the time when I do make it by day three it's gone bad anyway!

Well, over the weekend I figured I would try out Udi's gluten free sandwich bread since I love their bagels. Holy cow am I impressed! It tastes similar enough to what I remember "normal" bread tasting like, and it makes an awesome sandwich! I used it to test out my Kraft Ultimate Sandwich ingredients, and it was really yummy! The only issue I have with it is the actual slices of bread are the size of my palm, and I don't have large hands. Is this a message that we should be eating less bread? Am I on a diet without choice? Udi's, if you are listening, thank you for the gluten free products that taste good and PLEASE make the loaves of bread a bit larger!!!!

Customer Service DOES exist!!

A few months ago I bought the twins two pairs of Osh Kosh jeans at Kohl's. Original price $30. After one week one pair's fabric tore open right next to the seam along the pocket at the hip. I could tell it was simply an issue with the fabric, so I emailed customer service at Osh Kosh. They send me a prepaid mailer to return the jeans to their QC department, and sent me a replacement pair. I was happily surprised at the level of customer service they offer! They even sent a letter stating that while they understand quality issues can arise they don't want to risk their reputation. I was "wowed" today!

Creating a model DNA double helix

I was so proud of Big Kid, he did this one just about on his own! I had to help with some wiring issues, but this is his work!! He even knew the names of the adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine! I was so proud, he was even using the saying I taught him to remember how they combine - "DNA is where it's AT". The A and T always attach, leaving the C and G to attach. Science was my "thing" in school, it's fun to see my child taking an interest at all! He hasn't liked science much unless I was chemically altering something, preferably at a rapid loud explosive rate.

We bought a microwave

Yep, broke down and got a little one today. Found one on clearance at Home Depot for $33, not too shabby! Thing Two won't eat his waffle out of the toaster, "it's too hard" and I'm tired of heating up the oven every time I want a bowl of hot lunch. I guess we don't "need" a microwave but boy is it a nice convenience! Now to find that bag of microwave popcorn... ;)

Today's Car Tip

If you feel your car pulling to one direction and it didn't last time you drove it, pull over and look at your tires. Chances are one of them has less air than the rest! If the tire is visibly low, you need to get your spare on and get to your tire shop. And remember, if your tires aren't new you should replace them in pairs - two new on the front, or two new on the back. Whatever you replace, the two newest ones should be your "driving wheels"! If you have a front wheel drive car, put them up front!! It is best to buy new tires four at a time, but if you are like me and drive an SUV to hold the family you sometimes just can't afford four tires at once. And believe it or not it does help the live of your tires if you rotate them on a regular basis. Most good tire shops will rotate at no charge if you bought the tires from them. They should offer free patches as well if you bought good tires there, I have always had that! Maybe that's the $4 insurance I buy for the tires...

Ultimate Sandwich Makeover

So I was chosen to host a Kraft Ultimate Sandwich Makeover party. I can't believe the pile of goodies I got in the mail today!!! Free reusable lunch bags, coupons for free lunch meats and cheese, a free freezable sandwich container, and three sandwich shop mayo's! AWESOME!

Potty Training, FINALLY!!

Today is day two of being in "real underwear" for the twins! They turned 3 the end of January, and have been in pull ups forever (ok, it feels like forever). They are smart, and know if they have a pull up on they can use it - so they do! Potty training was barely moving until I just told them it was time to wear underwear like the rest of us! It's too easy!

Yesterday they each had an accident, couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and wet themselves. That's pretty good for day one! I am putting the pull ups back on for car rides and bedtime, not ready for wet carseats or wet beds. They don't wake up dry yet, so I don't feel they are ready for night training yet. This morning they each had another accident, both because I couldn't open the gate in time. So I moved the gate to the other side of the bathroom, and it works!! They have stayed dry all afternoon, I'm so proud of them! They want a high five every time they go potty, it's awesome.

They aren't going #2 on the pot, which I don't want to become an issue - so I put them in pull ups for a half hour today and told them this was their chance to poo if they didn't want to on the pot. They hadn't gone in two days, and usually go three to four times every day!! I know, fun topic but I felt better reading other mom's issues with potty training online and want to share. It worked, they went, so that's our next hurdle - teaching them to sit down on the pot ;)

I am so happy with the success we are seeing!!!! YAY!!!!!!! I can't WAIT to knock pampers easy ups off my grocery list for good!!!

Spring, finally!

Yep, spring is definitely setting in down south. Allergies are awful, pollen is turning the cars green, and plants are flowering everywhere! Daffodils are almost already past, all the forsythia are yellow, the bradford pear trees are green again, cherry trees are in full bloom, and there are little grape hyacinth all over my yard blooming! I like the grape hyacinth so much - such a little plant but so much color! Only one of my daffodils bloomed this year, the only reason I can think of is we moved them last fall and must have messed up their "storage" for blooms. We'll see what next spring brings for them I guess!

Next out should be some daylilies, I can't WAIT for them to start opening!! I love daylilies, I have a ton of varieties out front and about 200 orange wild ones out back. Even when they aren't blooming the greenery is so nice! The butterfly garden is budding again, we are looking forward to seeing how that does this year as well. It has sweet william, bee balm, two butterfly bushes and some lilies and iris in it. Cool!!! I love gardening, can you tell?

Did I do a good job?

I am finally done painting!! Well, except the master bedroom but who looks there. The idiot who painted these cabinets white didn't sand or prime over yellow paint, so when they chipped (or I scrubbed them) they turned dingy yellow. Couldn't stand that any longer! Do you like the chocolate color? We have an accent wall the same color as well as curtains, so it brings the house together. I just hope they aren't too dark, this is a lot of work! Much cheaper than remodeling, this has so far cost us $24! Seriously! Oh and don't mind the mess ;)

Turning 12 years old!!

I can't wrap my mind around the fact that my oldest child is 12 now. He will always be "my baby" in so many ways! He and I were alone for the first few years, and I think that has made us very close. I love the relationship we have, and he is such a good kid - it's just hard to look at him almost at eye level some days!!!