Quinn-derdoodles! Gluten and Dairy-free!

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Crisco
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour
3/4 cup soy flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
Mix and roll into balls.
Make cinnamon sugar:
1/4 cup sugar
1 t cinnamon
Roll the top of each ball in the cinnamon sugar.
Bake for 12 mins @ 350 degrees

Aunt Patti’s Gingerbread Cookies (Extra Spicy Version)

Aunt Patti's gingerbread have always been my favorite. My own twist is adding a little cayenne pepper.

Gingerbread Boys and Girls (And Heart and Trees and Dachshunds)

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

2 ¾ cups flour
1 T baking powder
¼ t baking soda
1 t allspice
1 t ginger
1 T. ground cinnamon
½ t salt
A hearty sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Mix together dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, cream together:

1 egg, beaten
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup dark molasses
1 stick softened butter.

Gradually add dry ingredients to form stiff dough.

Refrigerate until firm.

Roll between two sheets of wax paper. Use lots of flour to keep it from sticking as you cut out your shapes.

Bake 10-12 mins, until lightly browned.

Aunt Patti does hers with all these beautiful white piped outlines. We do ours with crazy sprinkles.

Eggnog Bread Pudding!

Yesterday, in spite of a cold and a Mathapocalypse, we got our second Christmas tree ever. I used to think that we couldn't have one because we don't have kids, but that was just DUMB. Having a tree makes us so happy, and it makes me feel like my family counts, even if we're just 2 ladies and two cats. The tree isn't decorated yet, but it is smelling up the house so nicely!

I think this will be our yearly We-Got-Our-Tree celebratory dessert.I made it last year, inspired by the Eggnog themed episode of Iron Chef. Serve with hot chocolate and a Bored to Death Marathon.

Egg Nog Bread Pudding!

Preheat oven to 350.

Put 3 to 5 cups of stale bread(I used Amoroso's rolls, but a fancy whole grain is nice, too) into a round casserole dish.

Stir together:
2 cups eggnog
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pour the mixture over the bread, the sprinkle with a little brown sugar.

Put in the oven for 45 mins. (After about 20 mins, press the bread down into the custard mixture a little more and sprinkle some more brown sugar.)

Aunt Jane's Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Cookies

I invented these last year for my little nephew, Quinn. Gonna try to make some tomorrow!

Preheat oven to 350

Using beaters, cream together:

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Add the following and then beat again:

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp soy milk

Sift the following together, then add to above mixture:

1/2 cup soy flour
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
NUTMEG!

Then add:
2 cups rolled(not quick) oats
3/4 cup crasins
1/4 cup toasted pepitas

October Resolutions Check-in

(These monthly resolutions were inspired by The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I highly recommend it to anyone who’d like some smart self-help.

1. Embrace imperfection.
I regretted making this resolution—the universe (and my own mistakes) gave me far too many opportunities to practice it. I bounced the checkbook, a nasty event coordinator e-yelled at me for four paragraphs when I canceled my Winter classes, odd traffic tickets kept popping up, I struggled in math class even though the professor kept saying “It’s just common sense…” etc.

However, I’ve learned to sometimes be able to see problems as just themselves, not as universal exemplars of catastrophe. Yes, I was stupid with the banking, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid forever. A beeyotch yelling at me doesn’t mean I am permanently unable to connect with people. Math conundrums were often figured out after a good night’s sleep.

This was HUGE progress for me. Gold star.

2. Walk in the woods.
Every Fall, I worry that we aren’t looking at leaves enough. Weekly or twice-weekly walks/runs in the Wissahickon go a long way towards assuaging that worry.

3. Buy less.
While I was depressed, I developed a very mild shopping addiction, and I feel like that’s starting to fade.

We get a thrill from grocerying at the Save-a-lot instead of the Acme. We keep wondering why we didn’t do that before.

4. Make meals that involve steps.

My favorite one of these is my mom’s broccoli soup: Boil a whole bunch of broccoli stems in salted water for about 2 hours. Mash/cut up the stems and add the broccoli florets to the broth. Cook some elbow or farfalle macaroni in a separate pot, strain and add to broth. Cook for a couple more minutes. Serve with generous amounts of grated fresh parmesan.

I also like Rachel Ray’s Cabbage and Straw.

Next month I hope to recreate my mom’s vegetable barley soup.

5. Follow curiosity more avidly. (See: 20 Things I LOVE LOVE LOVED about October 2010)