A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

I have no idea where the month of May has gone! But here it is, the week of planning for what will be done on Memorial Day! My cherubs have finished with their school and this is a big accomplishment, as this was their first year of attending a "virtual academy" through the school they attended in Dallas. I've spent the last eleven years "preparing" for my cherubs to be home for the summer. I always took their last week of school and sorted through their closet. Straightened out the drawers. Grocery shopped for "at home" lunches. And did any last minute planning before school would be let out for the summer. But since these cherubs have been doing their education from the comforts of our office, my routine was a wee bit off this year! It has actually been a great year for all of us and I've loved the opportunity for them to educate at home.  Now that summer break is officially here, we've been enjoying a more relaxed ...

My boy cherub saw this recipe on T.V. while we were staying in a hotel not too long ago. He begged me to make it. It's not hard, but there are a few "special" ingredients. When you look at the title, the word "Cannoli" conjures up a taste. That's what the frosting is like . . .cannoli filling. That's why I didn't want to make any substitutions to the ingredients. I wanted it to taste like cannoli. That's one thing my boy cherub misses since being gluten free. He dreams of eating great cannoli. Well, truth be known, he dreams of eating Krispy Kreme donuts, a honey butter chicken biscuit from Whataburger, and the cinnamon rolls I used to make. For mother's day, my girl cherub choose the entrée and my boy cherub choose the dessert. For me to make. But whatever . . . that's what moms do! This is seriously good! It's seriously easy too! Which only contributes to the good factor! Cannoli Cake 1 15-16oz...

That can of fat free refried beans in the picture; It's my favorite brand. It's from Aldi's. There's no reimbursement or compensation for my opinion on this can of beans. Truly, Aldi doesn't even know I exist. But I know they exist! I am a fan of the store. I'm also a fan of these beans. Not that I would want to just "open and serve" this, but it's a good foundation for other tasty creations. With Cinco de Mayo today, I wanted to give you a quick bean dip. It's super easy and is great for dipping chips or rolling in tortillas for a super fast lunch. If you were having company, you could keep this warm in a small crock pot and have the toppings out and your friends could "build their own" nachos. Because I use this brand of refried beans, I don't add a bunch of seasoning. If you make this, and your canned refried beans aren't seasoned, then you may want to tinker with some flavoring . . . and ...

Seriously!  My cherubs ask, "What's for dessert?"  every night! I have created a monster! Sometimes I give the look like, "Why are you asking me that?" And I point to the pack of gum on the counter! Other times I will say, "Do NOT ask what's for dessert, or there won't be any dessert!" And then I surprise them with a cake! I wish we didn't want a little dessert after dinner, but we do. I'm trying to accept it . . . embrace it  . .  . enjoy it! The Mr. and the cherubs are wanting me to perfect gluten free pie crusts. But right now, there isn't the time to wrestle with that task. So this week, while really wanting to make a pie, but not wanting to be defeated, I looked at different ingredients in the pantry and refrigerator and came up with this cake. It was super easy and the Mr. and the cherubs really liked it! This is not a "counter" cake, as the frosting will need to stay refrigerated....

Unfortunately, my picture has a lot of orange color . . .not sure why! But typically these energy bits look like peanut butter with yummy stuff mixed in! Some time ago, at an activity, one of the moms had these little treats out for the kids. I had one and knew that not only are they great for a snack, but it would be great for a breakfast at our house too! I've made these energy bites several times and what I like about them, besides the convenience, ease of preparation, and taste, is that I can keep make a large batch and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer for an easy-to-go meal! Now . . .you know the Mr. He doesn't like peanut butter. And now he has the cherubs a little spoiled to preferring almond butter and the like. So, my next effort is to make these, but substituting the peanut butter with a different nut butter. Just to see how it goes! If it's bad -- then I'll stick to the tried and true! Obviously, we've been glut...

My girl cherub loves French Dip Sandwiches. It's kinda weird, because I really don't know what she loves about them! Because truly, a French Dip sandwich is really basic. Yet, if done right, the flavors are simply . . .yummy! I know it's customary to put cheese on the sandwich. But honestly, I'm not certain that it really enhances the sandwich. I guess, ultimately, it is a matter of preference. But the Au Jus? That is NOT a matter of preference! That little component is the essence, in my opinion, of the sandwich! That's one reason why you need crusty bread. To dip the sandwich. The dip of the crusty bread that will adequately absorb the Au Jus and not get soggy to the point of falling apart . . . that is the art of the French Dip Sandwich! Beef Dip Sandwich   3 pound roast of choice 3-5 cloves garlic, whole 1 can beef broth 3 TBSP soy sauce, gluten free 2 tsp. browning sauce (I like Gravy Ma...

"Breakfast is ready!" "What is it?" "Blueberry Muffles!  Or maybe it could be called Blueberry Waffins!" "WHAT?!?!" "Blueberry muffins made in a waffle iron!" "OH!" I didn't have time to wait on the muffins to bake , I didn't want to take time for muffins to bake. So I thought the quickest, and tastiest way to correct the problem, would be to cook the muffins in the waffle iron. Sure!  I could have made a "cup of muffin" by cooking them in the microwave, but truthfully, it would not have been as delicious! The waffle iron was just perfect! Together, with the gluten free muffin mix and the Belgian waffle iron I whipped out breakfast in a matter of a few minutes! There's no real recipe here, other than what's printed on the back of the package. My only recommendation is that I did two things: I made the batter a little bit thinner than the direc...