Soccer Fever

Ty has been crazy lately... Soccer crazy!  He is playing County Rec soccer with the Rec Center that is up the street from us and he LOVES it!  I have to admit as his mom, I'm pretty excited to watch him do anything that he thinks is fun... though I also have to admit that as a former player myself- I'm sooo excited that he loves the same thing that I did/do!

He had a game this afternoon- so I brought along my camera and snuck a couple of pictures.

 He happened to have done really well today... He scored 3 out of his team's 5 goals!  Can you tell how excited he is?

Chocolate Dream Cupcakes

We made chocolate cupcakes on Monday for Grandpa Jb's birthday party- and we loved them so much we had to add something special to the name of them.  Ty actually came up with it, and we all agreed it was fitting. For these cupcakes, I adapted a recipe from Artisinal Gluten Free Cupcakes, a cookbook put out by an amazing couple that has some fantastic recipes.  Kelli and Peter Bronski have come up with their own flour mix that they use across the board in all of their gluten free cooking and baking.  I've tried it out in several things- and I am not convinced that you can use it across the board- but it was really good in the cupcakes.  

Anyway... First things first.  This recipe made enough for 2 dozen cupcakes.  If you are supercool then you'll already have two muffin tins.  I only have one- I guess I should put another one on my wish list.  You'll need to line your muffin tins with the little paper liners, then spray with non-stick cooking spray.  I recently learned that if you spray your liners- the cupcake won't stick so much to the paper and you get to eat more of it!  It's brilliant!

Okay- now for the actual adapted recipe:

1 cup salted butter; or if you are making this dairy free like me- you can use 1 cup of the Earth's Balance Buttery Sticks.  

1 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream; again if you are going dairy free, you can use a sour cream substitute.  I have found I really like the results from Tofutti's Sour Cream Substitute- it's made from tofu.  Don't turn your nose up- it's actually pretty good!  And if you add sour cream or the sour cream substitute it will help keep your cupcakes softer longer- I think it's called an "anti-staling agent" in bakers terms.

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coffee extract; I have found that if you add just a smidge of coffee flavor to anything with chocolate- it actually deepens the chocolate flavor.

2 1/2 cups Artisan Gluten Free Flour Blend; recipe to follow

2 teaspoons xanthan gum

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

And now we get to bake!

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Heat butter, water and cocoa in a sauce pan or double broiler until the butter is melted, continue stirring until the cocoa lumps dissolve.

 3.  While your chocolate is melting, put your sugar in your mixing bowl.  Add the cocoa mixture and mix at a low speed for about 5-10 minutes, or until the chocolate has cooled.

4.  Add your eggs, one at a time.  Follow them with the sour cream and the extracts.  Add dry ingredients and mix for about 5 to 10 minutes.  '5-10 minutes?' you ask... Yes- by overmixing your batter you are giving your gluten free grains the opportunity to stretch and fully absorb all of the liquid.  I have made this batter two different ways- one time I overmixed and the other I only mixed to combine.  The overmixed batter came out smooth and creamy, while the other was kind of chunky and wasn't near as pretty.  It's counter-intuitive to anything I ever did in my gluten-ful days, but it's key to any gluten free baking.

5.  Once your batter is fully mixed, scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins.  I like to use an ice cream scoop- it fills the cups just full enough that they don't overflow when they bake.

6.  Bake for 25 minutes, then let them cool for about 10 minutes in the pan.  Then pull them out and let them finish cooling on a rack until they are completely cool.

Alright, like I said- there are a lot of different flour mixes out there- but I really did like the results of this particular one in these cupcakes.  They made for a very dense cakey cupcake.  I know it sounds weird- but we are so stuck on what type of texture our food should have- it's hard sometimes to replicate it when you are baking with alternative flours.

I have several different flour mixes on my shelf at the moment...

 But if you are looking to use the Artisan Flour Blend- you can find the link here.

Now... this cupcake was put through some pretty rigorous testing- but the overwhelming results in our test kitchen came back positive.  EVERYONE loved these cupcakes and I think they will be going into our permanent file.

Celebrity Judges

We have been discovering some new things around our house and about our family in the last year, and because of these changes, I think I am going to start a new section/post on our blog.  Since we have had to change the way we eat- we have come across a lot of really good things and a lot of really gross things.  I have found that this is one of the biggest challenges in Gluten Free cooking- there are ceratin tastes and textures that we  have come to expect when we eat certain things- and if they aren't there- we are disappointed.  It is my goal to create gluten free dishes and menus that still taste like their gluten-ful counterparts.  

I have assembled a panel of celebrity judges with some impressive credentials to help me determine if a recipe is a keeper or one that should be torched.  

Let me introduce you...

Tyler John:  Ty has been with our company for 7 years and is currently enrolled in a premium educational system that has enabled him to review our products in ways no one else can.  His expertise lies in nutrition- making sure that anything that comes to our table is both tasty and nutrient dense.  Ty's preference in tastes tend to run less sweet than his other associates, but is always honest.  And while uncharacteristic of other people his age- Ty is always willing to try new dishes.  Ty was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and is scrupulous in making sure everything that makes its home here is indeed gluten free.  He is our leading expert in label reading.  

 Ryan Jay:  Ryan has been working with me professionally in the kitchen for the last 4 years.  He began his work as an observer and has since risen to the position of sous-chef.  He is my go- to guy if anything needs stirred.  Ryan loves trying new menu items, though is partial to anything cheese based.  He loves dessert and if offered a choice- he will always go with something chocolate.

 Katelyn Marjorie:  Kate is the newest member of our team- having only been with us for 2 years.  But what she lacks in experience, she makes up for in attitude.  Kate is the most opinionated member of our team, and I always know where I and my dishes stand.  She has recently taken over Ryan's position in the kitchen as "Chief Observer" and has since reserved her own "spot" on my kitchen counter- she claims this is to make sure each thing is made correctly.  Kate loves fruits, vegetables and anything sweet.  While no diagnosis has been made, we are fairly certain that Kate also has a gluten intolerance.

 Shaun:  Shaun has been with our company the longest- in fact it will be 10 years in May.  His time with our team has lent him the luxury of being totally honest.  He has been with us through our gluten-ous years and has since agreed to stay on with our organization since we made the decision to go gluten free.  Shaun helps us out in the kitchen from time to time, but has the official title "Master Griller".  Shaun has no dietary limitations to speak of, but still enjoys helping me come up with new ideas to try and share.

Me:  I am the current head of operations here at Kidd's Kitchen.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and Lactose Intolerance about a year ago, and have had a heck a of a time learning my way around my new gluten free kitchen.  I love to cook and bake for my family- but I hate to fail- so I try to take what I know/knew from my gluten-ful days and incorporate it into my new diet to make sure that the tastes and the textures are what I want.  

We hope you will bear with us through our recipes if you are here only for the pictures and the stories, and hope that maybe you'll try one or two of the things you see!

I Wish They Could Stay Small Forever

I hate it.  My little ones are growing up.  I wish that there was a spray or something you could use on your kids to make them just stop growing for a little bit.  Wouldn't it be nice if you could freeze them at your favorite stages for as long as you want?!  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Anyway- we hit a pretty big milestone this week with Kate...  We bought a new bed for her.  

As you can see from the picture here- she's getting a little big for her crib (and it's falling apart- really though- what do you expect- we've had it for 7 years and it was the cheapest of the cheap when we bought it), and is ready to be potty trained.  

 So off we went to the mattress store up the street and strapped a twin to the top of the car.  I don't know that Kate really understood until we had it set up in her room with sheets that it was HERS!  She climbed right up and tried to go "Night Night" right then and there.  I couldn't talk her out of getting off- so she sat up on her bed for about a half an hour with her babies and waited for bedtime.

She's been a champ ever since too.  She doesn't get off her bed until morning and if she wakes up during the night- she sits in there and plays for a few minutes before she falls back to sleep.  I've been so proud of her!

And on an unrelated note... look how long Kate's hair is getting!!  It's usually pulled back because she ends up looking like a little ragamuffin toward the end of the day if I leave it down- but I let it go curly the other day and I couldn't believe how long it had gotten!  It's so pretty- and yes- it's natural curl... she inherited it from her dad.  It's not as curly as her dad's was, but if I gel it and diffuse it- her hair can be absolutely gorgeous!

TBall

Here in Salt Lake, you can play TBall if you are three.  In Montpelier, you had to wait until you were 5.  Upon hearing this news- little Ryan's screams of delight were heard for miles.  He was so excited for it.  He plays ball constantly- and if he doesn't actually have a ball- he pretends he does and he pretends to play ball.  It's really quite funny!

Last week, we went to the first team meeting.  Upon arrival, Ryan melted into my leg and became an extension of my own body.  He was terrified of the other kids and wouldn't even look at the coach.  If you don't already know- Ryan is painfully shy around people he doesn't know.  He makes the Cowardly Lion look like the Terminator.  

The coach was pretty sweet though and took it in stride.  He tried to get on Ryan's good side by giving him first pick of uniforms- and I ended up with a permanent indentation of Ryan's face on my thigh.  I grabbed the uniform and towed Ryan off the field for a little one on one.  

You have to know for this little one on one to make sense that Ryan absolutely idolizes the University of Utah men's basketball team.  He went to most of the games and has a big poster of all the players taped up next to his bed.  His favorite player was Josh "Jiggy" Watkins.  Jiggy is small, but super fast- I think Ryan identified with him because Ryan is small too and likes to think he's very fast.  Despite his speed and skill, Jiggy was suspended from the team because he broke the coaches rules too many times.  Keep all of this in mind as you read on.

I bent down and made Ryan look at me and I asked him, "Ryan- what do the Utes wear when they play basketball?"

"What?"

"What kind of shirts do the Utes wear when they play basketball?"

"Red or white jerseys"

"Right.  Red or white jerseys.  And why do they wear them?"

"So they know who's on their team."  

"Exactly.  If they wore whatever color they wanted- they wouldn't know who was on their team would they?"

"No."

"What color is the jersey your coach gave you?"

"Blue."

"What color is everybody else's jersey?"

At this point, Ryan paused to look around, then turned back to me and replied, "Blue."

"Is that because you guys are on the same team?"

"Yeah..."

"Will you put it on?"

Ryan nodded and allowed me to put his shirt on.  We went back to the field.  Where the coached was asking the kids to line up so he could start tossing the ball back and forth.  Ryan (shocker) wasn't having it.  So back off the field we went.  I squatted down next to my little Lambert and asked him who his favorite Ute player was.  

"Jiggy"

"Does Jiggy still play for the Utes?"

"Nope.  He got kicked off for not following the coaches rules."

"Do you want to get kicked off your Tball team?"

"NO!!"

"Well- Ryan, this team is just like the Utes.  If you can't follow the rules- then you can't play the game with the team."

"But mommy!!  I want to play baseball!!  Coach can't kick me off the team!"

"I don't want you kicked off either!  I want to watch you play- you are so good at it.  But the coach has made some rules for your team.  And right now, he wants you to go and line up with the other kids.  If you can't listen- then we'll have to go."

"I'll listen.  I don't want to get kicked off!'  

And off he ran.  Harsh?  Maybe.  Effective?  Definitely.  It's not that I want to be mean or anything- but what better forum for learning?  We drilled into the boys the importance of following your coaches rules when Jiggy was kicked off the Utes team, because of how much they looked up to Jiggy.  They didn't understand why he wasn't playing anymore- it was a good lesson because it showed that it didn't matter how good you are- you still have to play by the rules.  

Anyway- Ryan went to practice wearing his jersey and Tuesday he had his first game.  Which he showed up to wearing his jersey. 

 And he did fantastic.  He waited on the bench for his turn at bat, he hit the ball well each time he got up to bat and he sped around the bases.  It was amazing to watch.  He talked with the other players and listened attentively when his coach spoke- I was really proud of my little guy!  And he did pretty well in the outfield too- he made some good stops.  I'm excited for the rest of his games- mostly because of how happy he is out there on the field.  

Kate and Ty had a good time too- there was a huge swing/play set next to the field that kept them occupied for the entire time.  Woohoo!!

Conference Kids

The kids playing Conference Bingo.  I don't have much more to say on that.  

Paint Yer Wagon... Or Your Nails

Since moving to Salt Lake, I have started doing some nails here and there again.  It's been pretty fun- though my best clients are definitely my mom and my sister.  I did my mom's nails the other night and the second I started pulling out my things, Kate climbed up onto the chair and held out her own nails.  She wasn't about to be left out!  

She waited semi-patiently while I Shellac-ed my mom's fingers (which- to those of you that haven't tried it yet... you MUST- it wears like iron!), handing me my tools as I asked for them.  Unfortunately when you are doing your mom's nails- professionalism kind of goes out the window.  Sorry mom!  

But as soon as I finished my mom's fingers- Kate reached for her favorite shade of pink and I painted as quickly as I could.  Because, while excited to be one of the girls... she is after all only one and a half.  She was so cute though- she sat through it and spent the rest of the night trying to paint Uncle Jeremiah's fingers.

Eating G-Free

Yeah, yeah... it's another post about gluten.  At this point I figure you should all probably get used to it.  It's my outlet- and quite frankly- a sounding board for some of my musings and issues.  Since Ty's diagnosis- we have really done an overhaul on the kitchen and pantry.  Granted, it was probably headed that direction anyway- but Ty's tummy troubles have definitely sped up the process.  I have been tossing and donating pastas, cake mixes and bags of flour left and right.  Thankfully my mother-in-law and two sister-in-laws have been open to letting me dump my food in their own gluten-ous kitchens.  I hate to see it all go to waste- so I'm glad someone is getting use out of my food storage.  

Anyway- that said- we have added some new items to our growing pantry- there is a company called EnviroKidz that has dedicated their entire existence to kids with wheat and gluten allergies.  They try really hard to make a G-free version of things like Frosted Flakes and Captain Crunch.  I'm not saying that they totally hit the mark- but I'm SO grateful that they are out there trying.  Ty's new favorite breakfast is a cereal called Amazon Frosted Flakes.  They are pretty good- but not as sweet as their gluten-filled cousins.  So we add fruit and it's pretty darn good.  Ty also has to add a multi-vitamin to his diet since he hasn't been getting all the nutrients he should have the last however many years.  We like Flintstones because they contain Iron. I was actually surprised at all the kids multi-vitamins that didn't have any iron.  

And last, but definitely not least (at least in my eyes) is the baking.  I LOVE baking.  Always have.  I really thought I was going to have to give it up because the all encompassing knowledge of 10 different flours really seemed beyond me.  But it turns out it's not.  Not completely anyway.  I know i still have a LONG way to go before I'm where I want to be- but I figure every great cook/chef/baker/whatever had to start somewhere.  And G-free is no different.  To prove my point... check out these beautiful G-Free Chocolate Cupcakes I made last week!  Isn't it pretty!?  My gluten-full cupcakes were never this pretty.  I count this cupcake as a success! 

 And so did my kids- which really was the point after all.

Kindy Cross Country Tour

Ty's Kindergarten teacher is probably one of the most amazing women I have ever met.  She is so much fun for the kids- that every day I am in awe of what she does and has the kids do.  This last week, she had her kids to a "Cross Country Tour", where each kid had to make a car that was inspired by a certain state (these were handed out randomly) and they had to "drive" their car to school, where they would "visit" all the major monuments across the United States.  She had set up a Statue of Liberty and a Mount Rushmore, etc. all through the school auditorium.  And along the way the kids had a little history lesson about the states and these landmarks.  It was amazing!!  

Ty was given South Carolina as a state.  So we dug out a box from the garage and got to work.  Ty did all the work himself on the internet searching for things he wanted to put on his car.  And did everything but the spray painting.  He was pretty proud of the end product!  

Ty's Endoscopy

So as I said last time- Ty had to have an endoscopy scheduled to check on his villi (hair like fingers in his intestine) and to take a biopsy of his small intestine.  

I had to take him out of school in order to fit into the drs schedule- which kind of bugged me.  The procedure was done up at Primary Children's- so obviously ALL the patients are kids- but none of the kids were scheduled into the afternoon.  Probably not that big of a deal, except that they have to come in fasting... So, Ty's endo wasn't scheduled until 1:30... and he was STARVING by the time he checked in.  Poor kid.  

When we first got there, Ty had to change into hospital robes and have all of his vitals taken.  He thought it was kind of cool- and asked if he could take his new pajamas home.  Unfortunately for him, the nurse told him that they needed the pajamas for the next kid.  Shoot.  

After that, there was a whole lot of waiting.  But- the hospital was prepared... with any and every video game system ever invented (okay- so there wasn't an Atari... but almost everything else), and any kid game you could imagine.  Ty was in heaven.  In fact- he probably would have sat there all day if the nurses would have let him.

 Anyway- once he finally got into the operating room, the procedure went just fine.  The dr came out after she did the biopsy to show me some pictures of what she had found and walked me through what we needed to do.  The pictures were just that- pictures, so the actual celiac diagnosis couldn't come from that- but his dr explained that she was almost 100% certain that it was indeed celiac and that Ty should start on a gluten free diet as soon as we got home.  Poo.  And yay.  It's the ultimate crappy happy.

Although- I have to admit... I did get a little dose of perspective while I was sitting in the waiting room.  They threw me in with ALL the parents who's kids were having surgery that day.  And there were some pretty gosh darn scary cases.  In all- if my little ones ONLY have to go something like celiac- then I think I can count myself and my kids pretty lucky.  I sat and talked with moms whose kids had terminal cancer, and others who had kid with crooked spines... It was insane.  And humbling.  I was all worried about how hard this was going to be on my baby- but it could be so much worse.  This at least has something to solve the problem- don't eat gluten and you won't be sick.  That's way easier than trying to have chemo.

It took Ty about 30 minutes to really come out of the general anesthesia.  He was kind of silly though... He kept trying to sit up, but he couldn't hold himself there- so he'd sit up and immediately fall over.  The nurse and I sat on either side of him for about 20 minutes taking turns catching him.  It was funny.  Once he was really awake, he got a banana flavored slushie to suck on and access to his very own remote control- which he quickly put to use.  He sat and watched Jake and the Neverland Pirates for another 30 minutes before the nurse deemed him ready to go home.

I wheeled him out in a wheelchair and carted him home to an anxiously waiting little brother.  Ryan was beside himself when he found out he couldn't go with me and Ty.  When Ty assured him that he was indeed okay- he also made it known how hungry he was.  So we amassed the troops and went out to dinner.  And we had a celebration!  We celebrated the fact that Ty was no longer going to have migraines or runny poops (yes- we actually toasted to that).  We celebrated no more tummy aches and less cold sores.  We all tried our very best to show Ty what a good thing this diagnosis is- he doesn't have to be sick any more.  Which really does call for a celebration.

I'm so proud of my brave little boy- he took the whole day in stride along with his diagnosis.  Way to go bud!