It's pomegranate season!

It's messy to get the good stuff out but worth it.
I love to just jam them in my mouth as a snack... but they are great in salads and on oat meal too! I'm a little obsessed with them.
Any other ideas of how to eat this amazing fruit?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Great Urban Race!!

All I can say about this "race" is WOW. So its not really a race per-say but more of a-crazy long hard adult type-scavenger hunt. MG and I went with Lisa and Jacob(a couple we love dearly). The plan was guys against girls and who ever finishes first gets bragging rights... well.... as it turned out none of us do(OK MG does)

The race was in downtown Portland on Saturday the 12th of June and ranged from the pearl to the waterfront and up by PSU. It was supposed to be a 10k most people just tried to get the clues figured out in a decent time while walking it,some really hard core people actually ran it and got all the clues!(that may I add was not us).

Here we are on the MAX heading in with high hope and spirits soaring!


Good old P-town how I wish I would have taken time to learn more about you before this adventure!

Here is our clue sheet... we figured out all the clues using our brains and an i-phone... finding the places the clues led to...that was a different story.(at least for us ladies)


Here are Lisa and me ticking off some of the required items on the clue sheet...


Posting by rose bushes


Finding Hot lips Pizza and eating some...


Shaking a dogs paw...

Jumping off this bike statue...

Pretending to dive into a fountain...

(These were not even half the clues but this post is already huge so I figured you would get the gist.)

And at some point in the adventure Lisa and I realized we had probably already walked about 8 miles and we had only done half of our list and we were once again clueless as to how to get to our next clue... So we called in the men folk and had them rescue us...

It went really smoothly after that. MG knows his way around Portland like a well oiled machine. The dudes had already finished all but two of there clues so they lovingly showed us the way to the rest of ours and we finished the race what I am sure was close to dead last.

We didn't mind. The Guys took us out to dinner and we all laughed about the day and complained about sore feet.








Incandescently This brewery has an awesome GF menu! They even have really yummy GF buns for their burgers! Also the home made ginger ale is outstanding(maybe I was just super hungry and really loving food)But this place Rocked!



Tired faces.



All in all it was a good time. We have vowed to never separate ourselves from our better halves during a scavenger hunt again though.

Lemon Cucumber and Mint Water

I couldn't think of a clever title for this so there it is...
This water is yummy,refreshing and super fun for company.

Just slice some lemons and cucumbers then crush or cut up some mint then throw in a pitcher or ice tea jar and chill for a few hours. Drink the same day its made as it does not save really well(mint goes kinda slimy).

Enjoy!

"Summer where are you?"

It is June 3rd and it is cold and rainy in the northwest. I for one really enjoy gray weather. I like the way trees and flowers contrast with a gray background and seem even more alive. I am not a huge fan of the technicolor vibe a bright sunny sky gives everything (too surreal). I know I am completely on my own in this thinking but the rain and grayness really do suit me. It does not however suit Owen who has asked me repeatedly when summer will get here and when "spring rains" will end. He loves the sun and he loves to be outside. He loves to be naked with the heat beating down on his body as he jumps through the sprinkler. SO I am ready for the sun -for him, not me- to make its debut in this part of the world. Anytime now summer we are ready.
While we wait...

My boys keep me in fresh hand picked bouquets of flowers. This vase is worth so much more than the 25cents I paid for it. It is tiny and the perfect shape to hold the offerings of a sweet little 3 year old boy.



We watch our vines produce fruit!



And we make potato leek soup

Original recipe by Dana Gay
6-7 smalish-medium Yukon golds
5 leeks
2 large shallots
1 small sweet onion
1 package yummy bacon(uncured apple wood smoked or maple) regular or turkey
1-1.5 boxes chicken broth or approx 4-6cups home made broth. (give or take depending on how thick you want it...)
Half cup white wine
Salt pepper to taste
Bunch of fresh chives
Cook bacon set aside
Saute onions leeks and shallots in butter and a small amount of bacon drippings about 5-10 minutes.
Add wine stir let simmer 5 minutes
Add chopped and pealed potatoes and chicken broth into pot and let simmer until potatoes are tender.
Serve this way or puree in food processor or with immersion blender.
Top with bacon and fresh chives

Our New Favorite Thing

Baking muffins! If you know me at all you know that I love to bake. However I do not usually love to bake with my little. I have found the perfect thing for us to bake that I love to eat and don't feel stressed out about him helping with....Muffins!

You don't have to be one hundred percent exact with muffins and that is what totally changed it for me. I know it sounds really horrible that I didn't like little hands helping me before muffins but there is just something about measurements being exact (especially in GF baking) that has always stressed me out. Maybe its just my new attitude or maybe its just muffins but I now delight in having his sweet clumsy hands helping me with the baking.


We made these muffins
Except I used frozen berries

They turned out great!

"Soobies"

Owen loves smoothies! Any Kind really, But lately he's been asking for "choclick soobies". I don't blame him at all they are so yummy and my favorite too! Here is the recipe


Chocolate smoothies
An original recipe by Dana Gay
1 cup milk or milk alternate such as almond milk or coconut milk(yum)
1 frozen banana or a not frozen one and add some ice.
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder(according to taste)
1-2 tablespoons honey(according to taste once again)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons peanut butter (or almond)
you can always add protein powder if you want... I sometimes sneak a hand full or two of fresh spinach in if Owen decides not to watch. He can never taste the difference.

Afternoon delight

Some afternoons just call for a little treat



Oh delicious Gluten Free brownies how I love and appreciate you.
These are Bobs red mill GF brownie mix brownies. I added the chocolate cream cheese frosting to them because I love frosting and it makes everything even more amazing.



To make:
~One package Bob's Red Mill brownie mix (available at life source and Fred's-for those of us here in Salem- or whole foods for everyone else)
~Instead of using a large rectangular pan I use a small square one. this makes the brownies more cake like ( which is good for frosting)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
~One 8 ounce package cream cheese
~One stick butter
~One average size bag of confectioners sugar
~1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder
~1 tsp vanilla
Cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth and as fluffy as possible
add the sugar small amounts at a time
when sugar is incorporated add cocoa and vanilla
* if you need to you can use a little milk to thin out the frosting.
ad sugar
** Sorry about the measurements being a bit vague I made this up myself and I never measure any of it... so you can play around with the amounts of things and make it your own.
***This is a great cream cheese frosting too just omit the cocoa and there ya go.

Ceasar Salad

This is not a new recipe but it is a good one.

2 minced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pure pressed extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk (optional) I always add this as it adds thickness to the dressing
2 rinsed and coarsely chopped anchovy fillets (optional) I add these when I have them I think it adds a nice zing but the dressing is fine with out them
6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
In a blender, food processor, or using an immersion blender blend all ingredients until smooth then toss with 1-2 heads romaine lettuce. you can add extra cheese and croutons if you wish.

Gluten update

I realize now that I never really missed eating gluten its self, I mostly miss the convenience and cheapness of gluten products. Most gluten free products are either expensive, hard to find or take time and trial to make and perfect.
I never expected to be able to tolerate gluten during this time of testing but I had however forgotten how miserable my life had been when I ate this way all the time.

So I am happy to be back on the wagon. I love the variety of grains that I get to experiment with and the different flavors and textures they provide. In many cases I now prefer gluten free options to glutenous ones which came as a huge surprise to me.

This experience was good for me in lots of ways. The biggest one is that I really don't feel deprived anymore or left out, I realize that I may have to eat a little different but I like the foods I get to eat and enjoy the challenge of re-creating the ones I can't.
I will find out next week if I have Celiac's and will let you all know either way.

Gluten Free

For the last 9 months I have been gluten free. At first I did it at the suggestion of a trusted nutritionist as a way to improve digestion and overall well being- those of us who suffer from thyroid autoimmune disease have a harder time with digesting gluten- so I cut out all wheat, barley, spelt, rye and regular oats (the kind that don’t say “gluten free” on the packaging) I felt better. Then after a month I was advised to enter it back into my diet to see if it was an issue. I ate delicious gluten for a week on vacation and it wrecked havoc on my system. So I returned to eating, cooking, and baking gluten free (and got rather used to it).

This week my thyroid Dr. told me he wants me to take a celiac test to see if my gluten “intolerance” is in fact a full-blown allergy (my reactions to very small amounts seem to be getting more pronounced).

In order to get an accurate testing I will have to eat gluten for at least three days prior to the blood test. I am excited for pizza, pastries and real cake but I am dreading the aftermath. I will be bloated (usually I look like I did at 7 months pregnant) and I will have some gnarly stomach issues. But it will be worth it to rule out celiac. Having celiac disease requires a whole other level of commitment. Plus the decontamination process (of house and person) is said to be really intense.

So wish me luck this should be an interesting couple of days.

Pumpkin seeds

Easy as 123...4. Just carve pumpkins, rinse seeds, soak seeds in sea salt and water overnight, then bake them at 200-250 in the oven until golden brown.

Bread machiene sucsess!!!

This bread was white and squishy and eatable without being toasted (unlike most GF bread)! I ate a warm piece right out of the machine, then saved the rest for our french toast breakfast with the neighbors. I didn't tell anyone it was gluten free and no one was the wiser. I am officially in love with the "Breadman".

Scallops

I recently made this scallop recipe I have never eaten scallops before so I was really unsure I would be able to call it a success.
It was! I would change baking them in the oven to sauteing them in the pan with the sauce when has reduced, but otherwise a really tasty dish.
I also made extra sauce so there would be enough to coat some brown rice noodles. Yum.
trying something new paid off this time! In my kitchen that isn't always the case (ask my brother in-law about the meatball incident and you will know what i mean.)
No pictures this time as i am still trying to find a camera charger that works.

Ingredients

• 16 sea scallops, rinsed and drained
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 3 pinches ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place scallops, melted butter, garlic, and shallots in a bowl. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir gently to combine. Transfer to a casserole dish.
3. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs and olive oil. Sprinkle on top of scallops.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crumbs are brown and scallops are done, about 11 to 14 minutes. Top with parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side.