Good bye 2009, nice to meet you 2010

Good bye 2009




Hello 2010



Wishing you all a wonderful, healthy, and creative year ahead.

They came and went, just like the cupcakes

Wheweeee......the holidayz have come and gone just like that! (The cupcakes almost gone) Consumed faster than they were made. A great metaphor for Christmastime. We all spend days and weeks getting ready for Christmastime, and then we blink, and all that is left is the wrappings on the floor, a few ribbons, some wonderful memories of times spent with our family and friends, etc....



And if all the baking and making wasn't enough, we had yet another party here, yesterday........a fun tea party for some sweet little kids.

Thank you for all your sweet comments and enthusiasm here on my blog, over the past year.

*Blink* It's almost 2 0 1 0.

What are your plans for the new year?

Easy last minute gifts!

We're all working away, sewing, walking around with threads on our clothing! Santa's workshop. I made these pretty little coaster sets for teacher gifts.
Pretty, and easy.....no more than an a half hour per set of four quilted coasters.





A great thing to make with scraps! And believe you me, I am not throwing out these scraps!

Back to work!

Happy holidays!

Chocolate Cake, of course!

Birthday Chocolate Cake!
I wish I could serve you a slice.



Chocolate Cake

3 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup Teff flour
2/3 cup Sorghum flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup warm water

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with electric mixer. Pour batter into two greased (with butter) round cake pans, and bake at 345 degrees F. Bake until cakes rise up and and are firm to the touch.....tooth pick comes out clean. Watch closely while in oven.

For the filling, you can do a number of things. Whipping cream that is whipped to stiff peaks, is quick and easy.....add strawberries, raspberries, or shaved chocolate on top....or even some peppermint candy cane crumbled on top for this time of year.

Also, you can make up some vanilla cream pudding for the filling. Our absolute favorite vanilla bean cream pudding recipe is adapted from the Tartine cookbook.
Here is the recipe adapted from the Tartine cookbook! YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract*
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup of sugar
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

*add vanilla extract at the end, when the heat is turned off the pudding.

I like to simmer my pudding/cream in a double boiler. That way the milk does not scald so easily. Mix all ingredients on medium heat, stirring with wire whisk, the entire time. Once the cream starts to thicken, don't stir too hard, or you will break down the consistency. Note: never use an aluminum pan for pastry cream. The yolks will react with the aluminum. Once the mixture begins to slowly bubble, turn the heat down. Once again, take care to not boil vigorously.....the cream will curdle. Remove from heat immediately once the cream has thickened. Set aside and let cool. Make sure you remove the top pot, (the one full of cream pudding) from from the bottom pan full of hot water, otherwise the hot water in the double boiler will continue to cook the cream pudding. Your cream will keep, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 or 3 days.

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Breakfast, Snow, and I think Winter's here!

We woke up this morning to the beautiful and very rare sight of snow! Monday mornings are hard to wake up and get off to school, but when I yelled up to the kids that there was snow, they hopped up and out of bed in a flash!

Brrrr, it's chilly out! I know it's not Alaska or the great white north, but it's cold for this California girl....I've lived in Vancouver, and it is definitely colder than here. Coincidentally, we were driving partway up Mt. Diablo, yesterday, and noticed that the higher up we went the colder it got.......little did we know that the road would be covered in snow, a few hours later. This is what the clouds looked like up there, yesterday.............

Pre snow photos





I just love the coloring on this one..........



Post snow photos





I'm telling you, this white stuff was covering the lower hills earlier in the morning, and on the ground outside our front door, even earlier! Love it!


And now for the breakfast menu..........here is the breakfast recipe I promised you all, awhile back. Next up, will be something chocolate!!


Dutch Babies (gluten-free)

1/2 cup oat (certified gluten-free) OR rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
7 eggs
1 cup milk
a dash of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup butter melted in the bottom of your pan.


Mix all ingredients together on high speed in your mixer, so there are no flour lumps.

Pour batter into 9 x 13" glass pan, on top of the melted butter.

Bake in preheated 400 degree F. oven for half an hour, or until stiff golden peaks form.

Delicious served with berries and whipped cream.

Serve immediately~

These Fall Days

These Fall days...........



Gathering in the Fall fruits





I think this calls for a Persimmon smoothie party! Or persimmon cookies. We sure have enjoyed the colorful branches sitting on the kitchen counter for the past few days.

Happy December First!

This year on Thanksgiving break, the kids set to work making their own advent calendar. How cute is that! I downloaded the numbers from here, and they cut all the numbers and squares out on their own. They couldn't wait for me to sew down the numbers and squares to the felt backing. (all of the materials are felt) We put cute stickers inside of each number.......you could add little candy canes and chocolates if you like.......we decided to make the treats sans sugar.



They were so excited for December first to roll around.



I dug out this Christmas box full of decorations and ornaments..........seems just like yesterday that I was packing it up, like Alicia mentioned today, on her blog.



I've been busy sewing up a storm. Loving Amy Butler's latest LOVE line!



In the meantime, it's too gorgeous to be stuck indoors...........I'm still planning some fun Fall hikes and picnics. Can you believe it's almost the end of the year, already?

For those of you who are anxiously awaiting the rest of the winning gluten-free recipes, I will be posting them soon. Stay tuned.

Toodles for now,
Laurie~