Apple Cake

Here is my sons very favorite cake. It is an GF adaptation of my moms old standby that has been made in my family for at least 4 generations. I will write it with my Basic Gluten Free Flour with Xanthan gum. See the recipe in labels at the side. If you want to try it with regular flour, I suggest cake and pastry in the same amount.



Apple Cake
5-6 cooking apples cored, peeled and sliced apple pie thin into a large mixing bowl
Set aside.

In a second bowl beat together
2 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar

Add
1/3 cup oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup Basic Gluten Free flour
1 tsp baking powder
salt
Beat well. Add apples and stir gently until all apples are covered. Pour into a greased 9x9 cake pan. Level out.

Bake at 350* for 30 - 40 min

Cheese Burger Meatloaf (GF)

I'm posting our favorite meat loaf recipe today! I make it with 2lbs of hamburger and serve half one night and reheat half the next. It is great as leftovers in sandwiches or Hamburg buns, warm or cold. Or reheats in a frying pan with some water to keep it from drying out. As soon as I get a picture of it, I will add to this post!

Cheese Burger Meat Loaf

2lbs hamburger
1/2 cup parboiled rice, raw
1 onion chopped small
1/2 cup milk (we use rice milk)
2 Tbsp. Ketchup
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce (1 TSP Gluten free soysauce for GF)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp each -dryed marjoram
-dryed thyme
-pepper

Mix all together and pat into a 9x13 pan. Cover with foil and bake 350* for 1hr and 15min. Pull out of oven and tip slightly. Lift fat out with a spoon. Add on top the

"Secret sauce"
2 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Miracle Whip
- mix well and spread on top of the meat loaf

add grated cheese (and optional crumbled bacon) and place back in oven uncovered for another 15 minutes. Cut into squares,Serves 6-8

Meat may appear slightly pink from the ketchup, meat should reach an internal temp of 160* if measuring.

Comfort Shawl

I finished a comfort shawl on my knitting machine a few weeks ago. So I thought I would get around to posting pictures. It is a basic stockinette stitch with lace weight yarn for 600 rows. And I created a lace edge pattern of my own to edge it with. I will try to post the pattern soon. (I usually choose the 7th of the month to post patterns, I'll see if I can get it written by then!) It is for my Grandma T. She has made so many wonderful things for all her grandchildren over the years, but I wonder if any of us have ever made something for her?! It's a very simple shawl/wrap and I am including a vintage handmade beaded pin I found at the thrift store. The violet hue is perfect with the gray! I'm excited to get it to her. I hope my parents are going to see her soon. I hesitate to take it myself, as I have no where to leave my three busy beavers while I go the hour and a half distance. I'm afraid they would tire her quickly. Perhaps we can convince her to have a visit with my parents in Owen Sound soon, as she has been on day long outings since the sun has began to shine again. I am sure she would love to see us all for a short time!
I am also making a shawl wrap for myself. I purchased a bag of pure wool vintage yarn at the thrift store. 5 1/2 skeins, 4 oz each. I paid $3 for the bag, which would cost about $40 + to buy new. It is a dark gray, and I wanted to make something with a vintage feel to it. So I have created a pattern for a shawl that wraps in several fashions. The wrapping style I found on a knitted pattern called Versatility I have designed a crochet pattern with a simple cable through the middle and some puff stitches. And I intend to edge it with the same edge as my grandmothers shawl, but with the thicker yarn. I will post a pattern for this as well when I have it tested better! I am excited to finish this one for summer ( a strange time of year to need a wool shawl, I know!) It gets cold at night in some of our favorite vacation locations. I hope to wear it to chapel at Stayner when we rent a cottage this coming August. It's an old fashioned open concept tabernacle. One step above tent! I just need to decide on what color of ribbon to use. Any suggestions?

Bedtime Prayers in the presence of Angels

I grew up saying nightly prayers with my mom, on our knees at my bed. And now, more than 20 years later I am in the same place with our children. It's more than just routine for us. I really do believe that God is interested in our desires and our concerns. And every night my dear son #1 prays for God to send his angels to guard and protect him, and to keep him safe.

Matthew 18:10 says:
Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

As a believer in the bible, that confirms to me that God doesn't leave our children by themselves. I didn't always trust God to watch over my babies, but that's another story for another time! But I've learned it isn't humanly possible to protect them 100% of the time. And I can't protect them from every bad image or bad thought or bad deed or bad word that this world produces. But I can trust God to influence their thoughts, guard their eyes and direct their feet through their consciences, and to keep harm from happening to them. And I believe God sometimes uses Angels to minister to our families when we ask for our safety.
My Dear Son #1 was having night terrors and nightmares when he was 3 years old, and it was his grandma's suggestion to pray for angels to protect him. So that is what we started praying each night. I had never shown him a picture of angels before this, only the story of the birth of Jesus was where he would have heard of them. But here is his description of angels. He will tell you that angels have flaming swords, and that they appear in a hue of green. He will tell you that they made the bad images in his dreams run away. He will also tell you Angels live in Africa!? I don't understand child innocence, but I wish I had it! And he feels safe each night, and I get sleep each night!
Each of my children have a lullaby I sing for them after their graces each night. Our youngest, Dear Son #2 has Brahms:

Lullaby, and goodnight
Go to sleep little baby
Lullaby, and goodnight
God is hol-ding you tight
Angels watch, through the night
Until mor-ning light
Angels watch, through the night
Until morning is bright


I am sure God is watching over us as adults as well. And we never know when we may be entertaining angels unaware!


Psalm 103:20
Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Bread Machine Potato Bread

This is a recipe from my bread machine manual that I have adapted for Gluten free using my Basic Gluten Free Flour Recipe (find the link in labels)

Bread Machine Potato Bread (Gluten Free version)

1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup skim milk powder
salt
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 3/4 cup Basic Gluten Free Flour
1/3 cup instant potato flakes
2 tsp Xanthan gum
1 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in order into your bread machine and set on whole wheat setting, light crust to make.

Home made Ravioli Ratatouille Casserole (Gluten Free!)

Last nights supper was the most amazing comfort food I have ever made, and ever had! Ratatouille is normally made with egg plant, but I substituted home made ravioli, and it was to die for! My two year old ate as much as I did! The other two children had a mind block eating zucchini, but I'll win them over yet, this recipe goes in the keep pile!! Serve with fresh Potato bread (recipe tomorrow!) and a salad.

Ravioli Ratatouille Casserol


1 pkg of frozen *Ravioli cooked to directions (boiled for aprox 14 min)
OR 1/2 a batch of homemade ravioli, recipe below.

1 tsp heaped, crushed garlic in oil (or saute 3 crushed garlic cloves in olive oil)
1 16 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes
6 fresh mushrooms sliced (or 1 can drained)
1 small zucchini sliced thin
1 jar three cheese pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a 3 quart, greased baking dish, empty can of stewed tomatoes
Place cooked ravioli in the pan
arrange zucchini,garlic and mushrooms around and on the ravioli
Pour Three cheese tomato sauce over top
Top with mozzarella cheese
Cover and place in 350* oven for 25-30 min until bubbling and cheese is melted.
Serves 6
*NOTE ravioli bought in a grocery store is normally NOT Gluten free. Always read ingredients when purchasing pre-made foods, including tomato sauces.


Homemade Ravioli Recipe

This recipe uses my Basic Gluten Free Flour Recipe, find it in my labels section on the side of the blog

4 cups Basic Gluten Free Flour Mix (or all purpose wheat flour)
1 tsp Xanthan gum (omit if using all purpose wheat flour)
2 t. salt
1/4 c. butter
1 c. boiling water
Mix all, (I used my bread machine) roll out really flat, cut into circles

Ground Meat Filling:
1 onion, diced small
1 lb ground beef or turkey
2 tsp garlic powder
Italian-type seasonings (oregano, basil, parsley, salt, pepper)
Brown together, remove from heat.
Add 1/4 c grated Parmesan and 1 egg.

I put these together on a cookie sheet. Brush tops of pasta with water to help them stick together, fill, fork edges together on both sides. Then freeze them for 1/2 hour. Lift off pan with a lifter and place in a sealed container or freezer bag without sticking together too bad.

Basic Gluten Free Flour Recipe

All my recipes use this basic flour recipe. If a recipe calls for a myriad of gluten free flours, add up the amounts and use the same amount in Basic Flour Recipe. It can also be substituted 1 to 1 for all purpose flour by adding 2tblsp of Xanthan gum to this mix..

Basic Gluten Free Flour Recipe

2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup Arrowroot flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato flour (NOT potato starch)

Mix well and add 2 Tblsp Xanthan gum if using as wheat flour substitute. Keep dry in a sealed container.

Gluten free baking tip!
If making cookies, form dough into shape desired and place in freezer for 20min. This will keep the cookies from "melting" all over the cookie sheet!