Strawberry Balsamic Jam

My parents and a couple of their friends had a huge garden back when I was a kid.  They all canned, froze, or pickled what they could from the garden, and even though then I didn't enjoy some of my jobs related to preserving the food, I miss them now.

One thing my mother didn't make was jam or jelly, though.  She did try a small batch of grape jelly once.  It took her all day, and she was displeased with how it came out in the end.  I think the term "wallpaper paste" was used more than once.

Gluten Free Butterscotch Scones

Another recipe I found on the Tea Time website in my search for gluten free scones was one for chive and goat cheese scones.  I made them with feta and ate the whole batch by myself in a week.  Oh my goodness, they were so good!  Feta is one of my favorite cheeses.  It added such a nice saltiness to the scone.  One night for supper we even had Nana's Sausage Gravy.  While the boys had their gravy over store bought biscuits, I poured my gravy over one of those scones.  Divine!

Gluten Free Orange and Cream Cheese Scones

Two of my closest girlfriends from college are both big tea drinkers.  One of them even throws beautiful tea parties for her friends.  I was honored enough to be invited to one back in November for our other friend's birthday.  The table was set with heirloom china, crystal, and silver.  She had a savory course and a sweet course, four different blends of tea, and was even kind enough to make sure I had some apple cinnamon gluten free scones perfect for fall so I could enjoy my tea to the fullest.

Gluten Free Flour Blend and Book Review

I was not compensated for this post other than given permission to share America's Test Kitchen's copyrighted recipe.  All opinions are my own.

Several weeks ago a package showed up on my doorstep unannounced.  My dad saw a cookbook online he thought I'd like and had it sent to me.  My dad is cool like that.

The book is America's Test Kitchen's latest The How Can it Be Gluten Free Cookbook.  Let me tell you, I wish this book had come out a year ago.  The first chapter in the book is all about the chemistry of gluten and baking.  America's Test Kitchen talks about what needs to be replaced in a recipe if wheat gluten is removed - elasticity, fat, starch.  Another thing they talked about was weighing flour and other dry ingredients instead of measuring them by the cup.  That technique has made a great difference in my baking.

Ham and Cheese Corn Muffins

The 8 year old has decided that he's tired of sandwiches.  Since he takes his lunch to school, this is a bit of a problem.  So I set out trying to find something that would be filling, have protein, be reasonably healthy, and would be packable for his lunch.

Meal Plan Camping Style

Things have been a little stressful in good ways and in not so good ways around the Now Things Are Cookin' household the last few weeks, which is why the blog has been quiet lately.  My husband and his best friend have known each other literally all their lives.  They lived across the street from each other from the time they were babies until they graduated from high school and even roomed together in college.  Two weeks ago my husband's best friend's father passed away.  Both the family and my husband have been taking it hard.

Two days after the funeral, we took our annual  four day/three night (car) camping trip with three other families. We've taken this trip ever since the 8 year old was the 3 year old,  It's always a trip we look forward to every year, even after the disaster of a trip four years ago when it was 100 degrees every day and none of our campsites had any shade!

Cherry Coconut Cream Smootie

Picture it: The day before vacation.  You're home alone with an anxious and frustrated 8 year old.  You've eaten down most of the food in your fridge.  And the 8 year decides that for his after lunch "treat" he wants a smoothie.  There is no milk or ice cream in the house and you're not about to go out to the store for some only to have it sit around untouched for a week.

Strawberry Butter

Do you all remember the cranberry butter I made back around Thanksgiving?  Oh my was it good!  I made that several times during cranberry season to enjoy on toast, bagels, and english muffins for breakfast.  But alas, cranberry season ended.  Enter strawberry season and a new fruit to add to my butter.

Cast Iron Skillet Breakfast Casserole

When I decided to go gluten free back in January to help me resolve some of my health issues, one of my first challenges was what to eat for breakfast.  I know it's the most important meal of the day, but it's a meal I usually just grabbed some cereal or a muffin while trying to get the 8 year old off to school.  I was even guilty of stopping for a doughnut more often than could be called a special treat.

No Bake Granola "Cupcakes"

Five years ago next month when the 8 year old was just barely 3 1/2, my mom got terribly sick.  My dad, who is paralyzed on the right side of his body called me after three days and asked if I'd make the 2 hour drive to their house to help care for both of them until my mom was well.  The two of them thought she had the stomach flu.  I, of course, agreed, but I told my dad to make sure my mom was prepared to go to the ER when I got there.  She hadn't been able to keep anything on her stomach for three days, so I knew she was dehydrated.

Weekend Recipe Review - Spiced Pear Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

As I'm writing this, I should be sewing patches on a Cub Scout uniform in preparation of a big district wide Cub Scout camping trip tomorrow night.  You see, when the 8 year old earned his Tiger badge last year, his shirt seemed a little small.  I figured I'd wait the summer to see if he needed to go up a size before I sewed his patch on.  I never managed to get his Bobcat patch sewn on either.Well, it's fall, his shirt still fits, and the patches are still floating around in my sewing table drawer.  He's been begging me to sew the patches on.  I suppose it's time.  I am the Den Leader, after all.

Nana's Sausage Gravy - Recipe

The 8 year old's two favorite meals in the world are anything that has refried beans and "gravy."  What he means when he asks for that is biscuits and sausage gravy.  He doesn't really care about the biscuits, so I get away with using pre-made biscuits from the store.  I like the home style ones over the flaky ones for "gravy."