"Peanut Butter" Cookies

I'm just loving this "The Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book" by Kelly Rudnicki book! (along with her website too!) We made apple muffins last week that were quite delicious and today the kids and I made soy nut cookies. Daddy and the kids just loved them!

Soy Nut Butter Cookies

1/2 c dairy-free shortening (i used earth's balance)
1/2 c creamy soy nut butter (i used I.M. Heathy)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
11/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, thoroughly combine the shortening, soy nut butter, sugars and applesauce. In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt with a wire whisk. Add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture and stir until just combined. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place the balls onto the baking sheets. Dip a fork into some flour (i used sugar) and press the fork tines into each dough twice, making a crisscross design. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until light brown. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

Note: I cooked them for 12 minutes and they were toasty brown. Check at 10 minutes. We also added 1/2 c Enjoy Life chocolate chips.

GROUT!

Daddy brought out the grout today! WHOO HOO! We now have one complete section of our counter!

Now isn't this a better color?

Daddy having fun

Still needs a couple more passes with a wet sponge, but for the most part - DONE!

Is that the END of the tunnel I see??

I woke up this morning and went downstairs and what do I see?? Clark is actually caulking the counter top! WHOO HOO! He's even planning to grout today!?

Here is is. Working on the corner.

Okay, this looks REALLY LIGHT in color. Not liking it at all. So, I tell him this isn't going to work because it will show every flaw in the counter. He tells me I picked the color and it's too late. I say, I don't remember ever going to pick grout colors and he tells me he showed me on the computer. Well...

he takes out the practically white caulk and we go to Home Depot to choose a proper color. Here he is is making a crabby face - he really isn't crabby, I just thought it'd be funny to post. Moral of the story - Do Not Pick grout color off the computer!

Easter Soap Dispensers

Well, our Valentine soap ran out yesterday so today we picked up some new soap dispensers to make Easter soap!

Go to Target and get the generic foam soap. Take off the labels...

And decorate with Easter stickers!

They love it! You can make them for any holiday or season.

Here's Gregory's

And Bailey's! So cute.

Happy Heart Day!

Bailey and I made this earlier this month..."Be My Valentine"

Happy Valentine's Day! We had a quiet day here at home. Gregory is sick so we pretty much had a lie in bed day watching all the valentine day specials. Daddy worked on the counter while the kids and I hung out upstairs so it was almost like he had some alone time to work.

For lunch we had a Valentine Bento

Nothing too exciting. Heart shaped musubi with a couple spam hearts (I had a hard time cutting those puppies out so they only got two each!), grapes and cherry yogurt.

Gregory still in his pjs

Bailey changed into a clean pair of pjs after breakfast (after getting dressed for the day) since Gregory was going to have a pj day

Dinner - Heart shaped tostadas!

Well, that was our heart day. Should've had our heart shaped cinnamon rolls today, but since they needed to be made a day ahead (cuz I'm not a wee early morning baker) we had to make them Friday so "Heart day" breakfast came a day early. :)

Heart Rolls

While we were in Tahoe they had a cinnamon roll shop near our hotel and Bailey thought they smelled so yummy as we'd walk by. Since I was pretty sure she couldn't eat them I looked for an allergy free version when we got home. Yesterday Gregory and I made the dough and rolled them out. They stayed in the refrigerator until this morning and we baked them and iced them for breakfast today. When Bailey took her first bite she said, "These are the BEST things ever!" Just makes all the hard work worth it when you hear something like that! :)

Here's what they looked like before we put them in the refrigerator last night. The rolls in the center are the end pieces so they didn't hold their shape very well.

Here they are all baked and iced! (But now you can't see they are heart shaped!)

They kind of look heart shaped??

Mmmmm

Gregory said to take a picture of his plate, not him

I got a shot of him too...Still in his pjs...AND SICK AGAIN!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE CINNAMON ROLLS
(another recipe from Food Allergy Mama)

1 c. soy or rice milk
1/4 c. dairy free shortening
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. water
3 1/2 – 4 c. unbleached all purpose flour (divided)
1 package active dry yeast

FILLING:
1/4 c. dairy free margarine, melted
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins (optional)

CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR
1 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 – 2 T. Soy or Rice Milk
(Combine ingredients in a small bowl until mixture is of desired consistency.)

In a small saucepan, heat soy milk, 1/4 c. sugar, shortening and salt until just warm, about 115 degrees (use an instant thermometer). Meanwhile, combine 2 c. flour and 1 package active dry yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. When soy milk mixture is warmed through, add to flour mixture and mix on low for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and add 2 T. water. Mix on high for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 – 2 c. flour ( a little at a time) and mix on low until dough is somewhat stiff. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and knead about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball and place in a bowl sprayed with dairy free baking spray. Cover and let rise about an hour.

Punch dough down and divide into two balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rest about 10 minutes. Roll each dough ball into a 12 x 8 rectangle. Brush each half with melted margarine and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture. Add raisins if using. Starting with the long side, roll dough up and seal edges with a little bit of water. Make sure the seam is closed tight. Trim ends with serrated knife and cut each roll into 10-12 rolls, depending on how big you want them. Place rolls, cut side down in 9-inch cake pan sprayed with dairy free baking spray. Cover with kitchen towel again and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake risen rolls for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

While the rolls are still warm, drizzle confectioners’ icing over the top with a spoon. These are best eaten the day they’re made. Reheat by placing in microwave for about 10 seconds.

Happy Baking!

To make a day ahead - Just make recipe through the part where you slice the rolls and place in pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave overnight in fridge. In the morning, remove the rolls from the fridge and let them come to room temperature, about 30-45 minutes. Bake as directed, perhaps adding a few minutes.

CRUNCHy Allergy Free Cowboy Cookies

I've been in search of a good crunchy vegan cookie for some time now and I think we've found it! It's a Cowboy Cookie filled with allergy free chocolate chips, oatmeal and coconut! You can also add raisins, cherries and/or dried cranberries, but I left them out. Best of all, the kids LOVE them!

Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Cowboy Cookies
Recipe from Food Allergy Mama

1 c. dairy free margarine
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. dairy free chocolate chips (I added 1½ c)

Optional mix ins:
1/2 c. raisins, cranberries, or cherries (I left out)
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut (I added ½ c)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine dairy free margarine, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Add applesauce and vanilla, and mix well.

In a separate medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add to dairy free margarine mixture and combine until thoroughly mixed. Stir in oats, dairy free chocolate chips (and optional mix-ins if desired) with a rubber spatula.

Use a cookie scooper to place batter on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake 15-17 minutes or just until light brown around the edges. Cool completely on cookie sheet and store in an airtight container for up until 5 days.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Our First Trip to the SNOW!

Oh my gosh, we just got back from the BEST snow trip ever! We all had such a wonderful time up in Tahoe. We went sledding, made a snowman and snow angels, went tubing, rode the gondola to the top of Heavenly, did a little bowling and even played a little Keno! The weather was just perfect. For most of our trip the sun was out, but the kids did get to see a little snow (real snow) fall from the sky, too. We couldn't have dreamed of a better first experience to the snow! (Well, Daddy could've won at the casinos, but that doesn't count)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Package

The kids received a package in the mail yesterday...

Look what was inside!

Hmmm, what can it be? Well, our kids knew what they were!

Handmade pillowcases from Auntie Lynn! Hello Kitty for Bailey...

and doggies for Gregory. So nicely packaged (sorry, they got into them before I could grab my camera!) with a sweet label too.

They also have Halloween pillowcases that they refused to take off their pillows

at least until they saw their Valentine ones! :)

Thank you, Auntie Lynn. We love them!