Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour

 Chocolate Chip Cookies. 10 dozen.
Made for the drug dealer son and the freezer.

I made them with Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour - make your recipes gluten free.

By far and away -  the easiest gluten free flour I've ever used.
Exchange it for 1 cup of regular flour. I've used it in several recipes and I can't tell the difference. Cakes are moist, Cookies are crisp and chewy.

The 1 to 1 flour made these with a nice crackle surface. Very pretty.

I have reached that age in my life where I need to store flour in the fridge. I rarely bake - I can't eat what I make as I eat very little grains. My kids are up and out of the house. I can bake for work but things have not been friendly there lately. 

I particularly WISH  ( please!) that Bob's Red Mill would change their packaging to a ziploc-style closure. They are packaged in cellophane bags which have to be closed somehow. I always throw them into a ziploc bag once opened to keep pantry moths out and because I've had that cellophane tear and produce a mess. So - Bob's Red Mill - if you are listening??? Ziploc closure would be very welcome.

 I also made some Daffodil pens for work today. I buy the cheap back-to-school (already?) pens, drill holes in the end and hot glue the flower stem inside and then wrap with floral tape. Easy peasy.
 
 My only rule is extreme cheapness. The daffodils came from an estate sale - marked 25 cents. She threw them in as a bonus.

While I have some customers who will steal even a flower pen, these tend to stay much longer than a naked pen.

Putting Together A Puzzle

I started this Thanksgiving Day
 - it's about to implode and take me with it - where I can't stop fitting puzzle pieces until I'm done.



The journaling had become one more thing to do and I had to take some blogging time off.

My work schedule is a bit better next week. I don't have to go in until 11am - I have all my mornings on a consistent schedule. Next week will be different.


Thanksgiving turned out way better than expected. Daughter is in Guatemala for the winter so I had to make do with the son. He was lavished with 10 dz chocolate chip cookies amongst other food items (when do you get over thinking that your child might starve if you don't provide goodies?)


I did manage to meet Pencil Girl at RCT Fabrics in Portland recently. She had a quarter beef for me to put in my freezer. We looked at fabrics, discussed projects, caught up on our busy lives, and then went to coffee.


We both bought this burn out knit, me in the lightest pink, she in the brown. This is the store example with the brown knit 'piping'.



The day job has included too much overtime since June (again) and now we are starting the Christmas rush.

We moved my Mom & Dad this summer - all 45 years accumulation from their 3500 sq ft house on the hill down to a  much smaller single level 1300 sq ft house. They not only changed their address but also their phone number. They are in their 80's and this was a Herculean task.

They insisted on moving the pool table from the basement for the use of the two grandkids who visit once a year from Minnesota. There was a moment when I told my dad, "You are crazy".
Very stressful but their old house sold in 7 weeks, they are ensconced in their new house and finding their way. My sis, the MN whirlwind, came a few weeks ago and helped hang pictures, figure out furniture placement and help meet the neighbors.




I did manage some of the local christmas bazaars.
 
 Above: Paper cones swirled into an ornament.
Below: Magnets made of old maps, origami folded.

I didn't buy much - just looked and enjoyed.






I pinned this folded star trivet and planned on making two for Christmas presents.

 I managed to make one for my MN Sis so she could haul it back in her luggage - (saves me the shipping). So - one more to go.
 
Too busy to snap a photo but it is in similar red and aqua colors.




 
I have ideas on what I want to do with this Sashiko stitching.

 I made two of these! The first one was completed and lost over at my friend's house this summer. She has now found it and will send it to me.
I liked the design so much, I ordered another and it was much faster to stitch the second time around.


Going to camp out in my sewing room this afternoon. Got another pendleton pillow to sew.

Peanut Butter Cookies -- Gluten & Flour Free

These are all that are left. Easy recipe - you can find all sorts of versions online.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup fresh peanut butter (not jif or other 'processed')
1 cup granulated sugar (or be daring and do 1/2 cup each white & brown)
1 Egg
1 tsp Baking Soda, optional
1 tsp Vanilla (mine has no alcohol - Cook's Vanilla), optional

Mix. Small balls on baking sheet.
Criss - cross a fork over tops.
Bake 350' about 8 minutes.
Let cool before lifting them off sheet.

Coconut Macaroons

Fudge on top - Macaroons - Ginger Snaps.

My daughter made Coconut Macaroons for me a year ago and I can have them in moderation (as in all things) with little or no reaction.
It was easy to substitute gluten-free flour for the flour with just a tad longer baking time.


Here's the recipe:

COCONUT MACAROONS

4 EGG WHITES
1 Cup SUGAR
1/4 tsp SALT
1 tsp VANILLA
1/2 Cup CAKE FLOUR (or gluten-free)
3 Cups sweetened SHREDDED COCONUT (14 oz bag is perfect)

1st note: The 14oz bag of coconut is perfect. Ignore the "Contains 5 1/3 Cups." Even the bag recipe calls for the entire bag for 4 egg whites.
2nd note: I used gluten-free flour and increased it to 3/4 - 1 cup. This keeps macaroons from sticking and if you are a college student and do not have parchment paper - then this is a plus.  ***June 2013 addition: The last three times, I have used 2/3 coconut flour +1/3 gluten-free baking flour mix - both are form Bob's Red Mill. Whatever equals 3/4 cup of flours.
3rd note: ours were not browning this time at 325'. Try temporarily turning on the broiler to help get those tops browned.

In a stainless steel bowl set above a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler), mix EGG Whites, SUGAR, & SALT until mix is warm to the touch and nice & creamy.
Remove bowl from heat and stir in VANILLA, FLOUR & COCONUT. Refridgerate two hours or until firm.
Drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake at 325' for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. When bottoms are lightly browned, they are done.

We are off to our family Christmas get-together this afternoon. We are in charge of desserts.
This three-tiered Desert Rose dessert thingy, two pumpkin pies and the Christmas hearts below.
There is a pear torte as well but it was still in the oven when I ventured out into the cold patio to take photos.

These Hearts were made with popsicle sticks, melted chocolate and crushed peppermints.
Candycane Hearts Recipe is here.

No snow here. I almost cracked my hummingbird feeder this morning. I thought the weather people were predicting Oregon would finally get warmer than freezing (last five weeks!) and it would rain. Still freezing this morning. . . .and no snow (or rain).

Unforgettable Kisses

Well- I nearly forgot about this recipe. And it is a cookie that I can eat!

These are very, very easy. You just whip those egg whites to stiff and add some sugar and food coloring and fold in some chocolate chips and then place in a warm oven overnight to set the meringue. They took me about 12 minutes to mix up and next morning, when I got up for work - there they were - all finished.

Our family has made these forever. I have no clue who to credit the recipe to.

Unforgettable Kisses

Preheat oven to 350'
Mix and beat stiff:
2 Egg Whites
1/4 tsp. Cream of Tartar

Add 3/4 cup Sugar - 1 Tbsp. at a time.
Beat stiff after each addition.

Add 2 -3 drops Food Coloring.
Fold in 2 - 3 cups Chocolate Chips (I added less than 2 cups)

Spoon onto cookie sheet, lined with wax paper or parchment paper.
Let sit overnight in oven. TURN-OFF-OVEN.

Makes ~ 3 dozen.

About the only thing I react to is the chocolate chips. You can substitute dark choc. chips for less dairy and soy.

I found a video on youtube if you still don't see how easy these are to make.
Tawnya is kind of a dweeb but in all probability, very famous. She also makes her Unforgettable Cookies slightly different than we do.