Friday, January 22, 2010

Rip my heart out!


Moving is so hard and we KNOW that we will be moving in a few months. Like usual, the three youngest are fine. Paris still talks about her best friend in Provo who she hasn't seen or heard from in a year and a half. Emilia is pragmatic as always and Leif is chill as always. Atlas doesn't want to go. He is doing great in school (they all are). He would be in all the highest classes next year. His teachers, for the most part, like him. He knows all the ropes here. And he doesn't even want to go anywhere for spring break! He just wants to stay! Here in grey Glasgow!
I attended parent-teacher night and every teacher was talking about "standards" the higher classes that count for exams and university. All were recruiting him. On our walk home, Atlas was telling me the classes that he wants to take next year- like we are staying. I let it ride. But it was weird and a bit surreal with both of us knowing that there is NO way we are staying. Just as we got to the flat Atlas asked me where we will be next year... I don't know! but his 2 cents is that is should be in a city and preferably in NYC. Ha Ha Ha. I am over cities and the cold! So I say now... perhaps I just need a few weeks on a hot and sunny beach doing nothing and having nothing to do. Then I'll be up for anything. And I think I remember saying earlier today to Rich that I am ready for Paris in a few years!

And I baked (over the past few weeks) 4 different cupcake recipes from the cookbook and they all turned out fantastic. Vegetable base really works- even when I am sure it won't turn out! So if I know you are coming- I'll bake a cake. 5 months remaining. And no I am not counting down...

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

A new year!


I am truly obsessed with food. Just because I don't post pictures or blog much anymore (period) it doesn't mean I have stopped. I still cook all the meals and (usually) love it. I read cookbooks as my de-stresser and scour the shops for random ingredients to try a new recipe. For a while now I've thought that I am gluten intolerant. I could get diagnosed (or not) with a simple blood test- but for now I am glad that I HAVE to eat sweet potatoes and brown rice for lunch or make quinoa salad with broccoli and avocado and really limit my eating of bread. I feel so much better when I do. I have read every blog on being gluten free and have discovered a few "new" flours. On Saturday Richard and I went shopping to try and find them. We found a lot of flours at one of the Asian markets. None were in English, so I guessed on what I wanted. When I got home I discovered that I got water chestnut flour, some weird bean flour, and then a chickpea and rice flour combo. I made raspberry jam bars and tried the bean flour as my only substitution. When I opened the bag I really liked the feel of the flour. It smelled a little different, but had a lovely creamy color and nice feel. I put it in and mixed it up. Paris was my "helper" and nibbled the batter and liked it. That was a good sign. I made the bars and put it in the oven. I tasted the batter and thought I would puke. The taste on my tongue was so awful! I then had Rich try it. He felt the same... After the bars had baked and cooled all the kids had a nibble and no one complained... I could not bring myself to try it. I will give it to them for breakfast but I'll wait for the kids to give their opinions after eating a whole slice before I try it and even then maybe I'll skip it. I think my tongue still tingles... I'll try the rice and chickpea flour combo next. And I did throw the bean flour away...

My newest cookbook purchase is called "Red Velvet Chocolate Heartache" by Harry Eastwood and all the desserts- mostly cakes, are made with a vegetable base and a rice or almond flour... no gluten and I didn't even realise it when I bought it! I'll make a cake from it this weekend. Swede? A lot of butternut squash and zucchini? Sounds interesting... and no bean flour!