Show and Tell Time...

Wanna see what I've been up to???

I started a couple of these on the retreat I cooked at a little while back and finally finished them up and have them where they belong...

The first is my favorite ~ it is displayed in my kitchen ~ what do you think?


I absolutely LOVE it!!! 
Makes me happy.  :0)


Next is another one I really love ~
Give Thanks...
I didn't have too many things around here that I had made for Thanksgiving and since I love this holiday and all that it stands for I wanted to make sure to honor it in a special way...
so voila...this is what I did.


I think it turned out pretty darn cute, if I say so myself!!!


And finally,
one that will be super fun for my kiddos...
a sign that is versatile for anything and everything that is coming up.
How many times are you asked these kinds of questions?
"How many more days until Halloween?" 
"How many more days until we can go bowling?"
"How many more days until Christmas?"
"How many more days until we can paint our fingernails?"
"How many more days until I can do your hair, Mom?"
"How many more days until my Birthday?"
"How many more days until we can go swimming?"
"How many more days until Saturday?"

"How many,

how many,

how many???"

IT can be EXHAUSTING...SO, I created a cure for what ails me...

And here it is!!!

Chalk board paint on the ends

so they can fill the days and the event in

and keep track of it themselves...

genius, huh??? 

Yeah, I thought so, too!!! 

And I really prefer the distressed look ~

so I bunged it up a bit, took my handy little sander to it and made it look like it was already loved!

Well, that's all I have for Show and Tell today...

Happy Saturday Night to YOU!
I am off to join my pillow and blanket...they are calling me!!!

Science Fair Projects!!!

Well, that time of year rolled around again,
finding the Lytle family deep in the world of Science and all that we could learn from it.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Science Fairs!!!

Seeing the creativity of all the kids does it for me...
Once a year, we hold a Science Fair for any and all homeschooling families in our area, this year
we had little ones from the age of 3 or 4 all the way up to teens participating.
This is a time that the kids can shine in their own special way, sharing what they love and the things they are interested in learning about.

Now it's show and tell time for me...here's what my kiddos did!

I have to say that one of the projects for my kids wasn't what I would generally classify as a Science Project...but if you take a look at the picture below, you will know that what was learned was worth more than anything else in this world...
two brothers
who usually
prefer dukin' it out
with one another
were working side by side on their project...

albeit,
it was all about bikes ~
because that just happens to be what rocks their world...
but they did a great job. 
They showed the differences between the various bikes we have in our garage, as well as the difference in bikes from the very beginning of bikes...
which, in their opinion -- is one of the finest creations this earth has ever seen!
They went into the braking system and the various kinds of brakes you might find on a bike.
They also covered the suspension...didn't know there was so much to all of this, but they did and they were happy to share it.
Coming from a household of boys that LOVE to ride and jump and sail through the air...I am grateful that they at least have an understanding of how their bikes operate. 
Cutie-Pie Boys!!!


Our next Science Fair entry was all about Islands...
what forms them, where they are located, the favorite island of my sweet little girl -- which happens to be Coconut Island, and the differences between an island, a peninsula and an isthmus...

Unfortunately, I didn't capture her moment of showing one way an island could be formed (with the sea level rising) as she poured her pitcher of water over her landscape forming various islands, peninsulas and isthmus'...but it was cute ~ she did a great job.

And check out her poster board (this is just the center section of it, I wanted you to be able to see it up close and personal!)...

she's an artistic little one! 

I think she had a great time learning about the islands, the only problem is that she wishes to go visit them and I can't make that one happen. 

I guess that's what books and google are for, right?  :0)

And the final entry for the Science Fair from the Lytle Family...

was all about Oceans and Seas.

Pretty dang cute! 

And just like our other little girl, this one wishes to go try out swimming in sea water.  She did an experiment with two eggs and two cups of water...what she was trying to see was whether an egg would float or sink in "regular water" and the same with the "salt water"...

Sure enough, the floater happened in the salty water, which represented her oceans and seas and the one in the regular water sank like a rock!  She thinks going to the Dead Sea would be the best test for her body...I'm thinking that might not be the case, I wonder if she'd settle for a swimming pool filled with salt water???

Well, until next year...or until one of them gets a wild hair (which could be as soon as tomorrow or next week) we are officially done with Science Fair Projects.

History Fair is next on the radar...
I wonder what kind of fun we'll come up with there???

Breakfast is served...

The following breakfast recipes are all gluten free...
but don't click away...
they are DELICIOUS!!!!
and they won't give you a tummy ache when you eat them.

It used to be that when I would make pancakes (also from scratch) that my little one would be rolling around on the floor, holding her tummy, crying...those days are over...no more tears ~ just smiles and happy tummies!

And the very best part...
I seldom tell people that what i am serving is gluten free and I end up hearing the nicest compliments such as, "These are the BEST pancakes I've ever had, are they from a box or a mix?" 
Never do I hear, "oh, these are pretty good for being gluten free." 
That's just an insult wrapped in a pretty bow.


(For the flour mixes below, simply go to my post titled:  Gluten Free Flour Recipes)


Pancakes
4 C All Purpose GF Flour Mix
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 C Sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp baking powder

Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl...
Mix the following ingredients together in a separate bowl
6 eggs
3 1/2 Cups Coconut Milk
(feel free to use any type of milk you desire, Coconut Milk that is vanilla enriched is my favorite!)
2 tsp Vanilla

Pour over top of dry ingredients and mix gently with wire whisk.
Stir in 1 Cup Melted Butter.

With 1/3 C measuring cup, pour onto hot griddle...
Cook until bubbly, then flip...should be nice and golden brown.
I will often use my spatula and "smash down" after cooking on the first side to ensure that they cook nicely all the way through.

So yummy!

Buttermilk Pancakes
Follow all dry ingredients for pancake recipe above

In separate bowl, mix together
6 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
3 1/2 C Milk
1 Tbsp vinegar (this will make your buttermilk flavor)

Follow as you would for the regular pancake recipe adding the melted butter and cooking just the same.


German Pancakes
This will make one 9 x 13 pan...I usually double this recipe to feed my little army!
Preheat oven to 425*


1 Cup Featherlight mix
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
1 Cup Milk
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together.  Mix eggs, vanilla and milk and pour over dry ingredients, mix well!
Put 2 Tbsp butter into your 9 x 13 baking dish and put into your oven for about 2 minutes until the butter is melted.  Tilt your dish to make sure the butter has full coverage on the bottom...then pour your pancake mixture into the dish and bake for about 18-20 minutes.
Watch to see the amazing creation happening in your oven ~ each time looks a little different!
Your edges may become a little crispy while the center continues cooking, it's okay...this may be my very favorite part!

You are sure to love this buttery dish...Serve hot with powdered sugar or syrup.

Golden Pancakes
This is a fairly small serving...so I don't make them quite as often.
This pancake is the most filling pancake I've ever tried!  They cook up so nicely, I love 'em!

In a blender combine:

2 Cups uncooked oats

6 eggs

2 Cups Cottage cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp sugar

Blend until nice and smooth, about 1 minute.

Pour batter, 1/4 C each and cook on hot griddle.

Serve with fresh berries or syrup.

These are a great source of protein!!!

 To ensure that these are gluten free, just use gluten free oats.


In my opinion, you can never have too many great recipes for breakfast...more to come!!!  :0)

Gluten Free Flour Recipes

Okay...

Now we can get down to business...
with all the items you purchased from your shopping list in my previous post
I will tell you how to put them together to make all the yumminess your heart desires!!!

If you picked up your bulk items, just place them into 5 gallon buckets with screw top lids for ease...if you are anything like me, you'll be in them on a very regular basis.

Now...I messed up and should have told you when you went out shopping to pick up a few extra containers to keep your mixes in...something like these maybe.

A few of these came from the dollar store and the others are just old ice cream buckets.
Anything will work!
I put my mixes together at least once a week and just keep them right out on my counter since I use them daily, you can do whatever works best for you.  :0)

Let's get to it!!!

Gluten Free (GF) Mix
6 Cups Brown Rice Flour
2 Cups Potato Starch
1 Cup Tapioca Starch

Gluten Free (GF) Goodie Mix
6 Cups White Rice Flour
2 Cups Potato Starch
1 Cup Tapioca Starch

Featherlight Mix
3 Cups White Rice Flour
3 Cups Cornstarch
3 Cups Tapioca Starch
3 Tbsp Potato Flour

All Purpose GF Flour Mix
6 Cups Featherlight Mix
2 C GF Mix

Each of these mixes can be stored for about 18 months with no problem...
I haven't had the chance to check that out personally, as I go through them weekly, but I do a lot of baking and a lot of cooking.

Next post:
Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancakes, German Pancakes and Golden Pancakes...Breakfast is served!

Gluten Free Baking ~ Shopping List

I am planning to add several recipes that are gluten free...
I LOVE to bake
and was so unhappy
when I found that my world
would have to become a Gluten Free World...
I was certain my days of delicious little goodies were a thing of the past. 
It seemed that almost everything I tried was nasty, or at best, barely tolerable.

This was not the way I intended to eat for the rest of my life
and I certainly wasn't willing to torture my family with less than desirable food!

So my quest began!
I have had several friends who have shared their secrets with me and to them I am very grateful.
Now I wish to share some of the things I have gathered and my own secrets to making baking a wonderful experience again.

FIRST AND FOREMOST are your flour recipes...
no longer will you just run to the store and pick up a bag of flour
or even grind your own...
you will have to be intentional in your baking in a whole new way.

BUT it is FUN and it is YUMMY AND it is so WORTH IT!!!

The things you will need first off are below,
the list is not too long and I'll try to give you a few tips to where I've found these items:

Brown Rice Flour ~ I pick this one up in bulk from Winco...if you go back to the bulk food section and ask them for it, they will order it in...not too pricey.

Tapioca Flour/Starch (these are the same...not sure why they didn't make it easy and just call them one or the other...but they didn't, so just know that you just need Tapioca) ~ Also available at Winco in bulk.

Potato Starch ~ not to be confused with Potato Flour ~ because you will need both and they serve different purposes.  I have been able to find Potato Starch at the Fred Meyer in the bulk section, kinda spendy.

Potato Flour ~ again not to be confused with Potato Starch...you need both.  I think I was only able to find this one at Jake's Gluten Free Store...comes in a small bag (you don't need much of this one, so a small bag will do quite nicely)

Cornstarch ~ just head on over to the bulk section at Winco for this item as well.  I was very surprised at how much of this I use...pretty cheap stuff.

White Rice Flour ~ this one is a good one to buy from your local Asian Stores...makes your goodies so good!

Xanthan Gum ~ This one will make you raise an eyebrow or two...quite spendy...but you don't use too much of it at a time...essential to have, so grab yourself some.  This is also found in the bulk section of Winco ~ BUT it is with all the spices, not in the bins...you'll be happy to know that if you didn't already.  :0)

That's about it, aside from the normal baking powder and soda and such...
I've found that I use a lot more baking powder than I had in the past and less baking soda. 
That might be a good thing to note for yourself.

HUGE NOTE!!!  Do yourself a big ol' favor and write what the contents of your bag are on the little tag, cause sure enough you'll get them home and not have the slightest idea which is which -- they look so much alike. 

My next post will contain the flour recipes...
so head to the store and pick up the things on your shopping list and get ready to bake!

(Note:  The items above will cover making all of your goodies from cookies to cakes to pies to pancakes, Belgian waffles, German pancakes, biscuits, rolls, french bread, flour tortillas, pizza crust, doughnuts, sweet rolls and muffins)

For a heartier whole grain style bread that is still Gluten Free...I will share some ideas with you a little later on.  :0)

Auction Day has come and gone...

A day that I've dreaded for some time now has passed.
I've tried to busy myself enough to not have to think about it...
I've done a mighty fantastic job of avoiding such a tender subject.

The home of my dreams
the home I watched my babies grow up in
the home in which we all learned how to work together
the home that is no longer my home
is
really
no
longer
my
home
forever.
The hope of ever returning
gone.

November 6th our home went to auction.
With it went my white picket fence dreams.
I wanted so badly to be there,
I wanted to blurt out that this was my home
and that it just didn't feel fair
or right
that it's not okay to mess with people's lives when they are doing all that they can do
I wanted to yell at someone
and tell them how rotten they had treated us
that we are good people
not losers
that we had dreams and hopes and desires...

instead
I voted
and
I taught school
and I cooked
and I cleaned
and I counted my blessings.

I looked around me
and
I
smiled.

I am happy
I am at home
I am okay
We may not own this house
but it is our home
and it is warm
and happy
and comfortable.

I can still dream here
my babies will continue to grow up here
we will continue to work together
and to grow together
and to be close together
because
love is here.

So auction day...
you came
you took
you are gone
and
I forgive you
it's okay
I've moved on
and
behind that tear or two
is a smile
that will endure all.

Hoping for Something Magical...

It's not a competition...
It's not a competition...
It's not a competition...

If I keep telling myself this
maybe I won't feel like I'm losing!

Keep smiling  :0)
And remember that this isn't about who is right and who is wrong and one of us doesn't have to come out the winner and the other the loser.

It is just about keeping a beautiful relationship alive and well
while at the same time hoping to accomplish what is best in the end for all.

This evening, I spent a little time visiting with Mr. Lytle about how I am feeling regarding The Questions of my Heart (Previous Posts)
He desperately tries to figure me out...
He finally said to me, I think you just hope that Something Magical Will Happen and you want to make sure it does...
You live in a world of Magical Thoughts ~
that's why you love Disneyland so much.
He is delightful to me ~ he kissed me on the forehead at dinner knowing that my heart is so tangled in knots ~ he really does try to help...but he also wants to give me space to work things out.

Is there something wrong with this kind of magical/wishful thinking?
Am I "not getting it"?
Am I pushing too hard?
Can you hope to much?
Are Magical things still possible?

After speaking with Mr. Wonderful, I moved on to his wonderfully sweet son...
I expressed my thoughts and my Magical Desires to him,
just KNOWING that he would totally embrace everything I had to say and that we'd all live happily ever after in my little magical wonder world I've tried to create for everyone around me...
He shot it all to pieces --
in a very respectful sort of way,
he was kind and considerate --
just very honest and forthcoming with his point of view.

I smiled, told him I loved him and left him in peace,
no crying, no yelling, no forcing...just loving.

I hope that will bring about the something magical I pray will happen for him.
He knows that he means enough to me for me to listen and to respect and to trust in him ~ and I do.

Now I will just pray for another magical moment to touch his heart and continue to build in him all that he will need in this life to be strong and steadfast.

Special little note: 
IF you read my last two posts...
you will notice that I said I would do the whole Mutual Respect thing, but that I MIGHT blow it and just blurt out the famous words ~ BECAUSE I'm the MOM, now DO IT!!!  But I didn't, I totally kept my cool...I did exactly what I hoped I would be able to do...
BRING on the MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD...
I need it NOW,
don't know how long I can keep up being so good!!!  ;)