And then comes morning ...

We were all in shock yesterday as the events unfolded at the Boston Marathon. When bad things happen, we usually are shocked at first. Then we grieve. We hurt. We cry. We scream, "Why??" We pray. We help, and to quote the beloved Mr. Rogers, we "look for the helpers."

Since a few weeks prior to this, I've already been grieving and hurting and screaming about a loss that has rocked me to the very core and has broken my heart into millions of pieces that can't possibly be fully repaired. I'll write about that sometime, the sudden passing of my dear kindred spirit on earth.

So as I'm already on the verge of tears every second of every day, the news yesterday morning that a beautiful blogger named Kate of Chasing Rainbows said goodbye to her son that so many of us had been praying for - it seemed like more than anyone could bear. And then the explosions at the Boston Marathon brought yet another tragedy into more lives.

It's too much. It's all too much.

And so I pray. I pray for those hurting and for those who have lost. I pray for our world and for love to reign. I pray for peace and for comfort, for all and for me. And when I don't feel like I can pray, when I feel too angry or bitter or "what's the point?" to pray, I take a big breath, and take one more step, and say, "I know you can hear me, anyway, God, and I know you'll be there waiting when I can start up again."

And then I look outside and see new life. I look at my husband and my children and I see love and joy, and eventually a smile or a laugh comes from me. I remember that there is no sadness or pain in heaven, and that those I've lost are there together, and have faith that one day I'll see them again. And that brings me joy, too, in the sadness of missing them.

And I look for the helpers, and I look for ways to help. Whether that's donating money to charities providing aid, or directly to families, or being a shoulder for someone to cry on or cry with, or an ear to listen, or writing a note, or praying. Or doing more. Or all of the above. There is something I can do, no matter what my strength. Something you can do, no matter what your strength.

And this cycle starts all over again. Pray. Breathe. Take another step. Smile. Laugh. Cry. Pray. Breathe. Take another step ...

Cherish those you love, and let them know. Squeeze them tight and make some memories. 

And slowly, every day, there is light that comes out of the darkness. And there is morning after night. 

Creamy Low-Dairy Nutella Popsicles - and Zoku

Do you see these creamy pops freezing in this clever little popsicle maker? Those are addicting, delicious, wow-me-and-surprise-me, oh-so-simple Nutella popsicles made with very little dairy. They are so creamy, yet the only dairy in them is the amount in Nutella. And with this little pops maker, it took less than 10 minutes to freeze these two wonders.

Even my husband, who isn't a chocolate lover and could do without Nutella, and isn't that crazy about coconut milk, really really liked these popsicles.

I took quick photos with my phone yesterday because I knew I wanted to get this recipe to you today. (This is one of the main reasons why I've slowed down on the recipe posting - I try to take nice photos with my big camera and then life gets too busy to allow me time to edit these photos before I can give you the recipe!)

Sorry, I had already eaten some before I remembered a photo :)

I had been seeing this Nutella popsicles photo sequence floating around Pinterest (this is what I based my recipe on, to give credit where credit is due), and thought I better give it a try since we received a Zoku Quick Pop Maker (they come in single, double or triple pops!) for Christmas and had yet to use it. I washed it out, let it dry and stuck it in the freezer for use in the next few days.

I love Nutella. I LOVE Nutella. And ice cream pops. And I also am lactose-intolerant and am not able to eat more than a couple of spoonfuls of ice cream with taking a couple of Lactaid (one for each spoonful). So, I was determined to make these pops something that I could eat.

I mixed up some coconut milk, a little almond milk and some Nutella with an immersion blender in a matter of seconds, then we were good to go.

Can I just tell you how quickly I fell in love with this Zoku maker? When we received it I thought it was a very, very cool toy (and I'd seen them on several food blogs and was admittedly curious) ... but that it was also a gadget we might use a couple of times and then find inconvenient and not use much more after that. Nope. I was wrong. This is the most convenient way I've ever made popsicles, and they freeze so perfectly. It's like you just ripped them open from a wrapper out of a box you picked up at the store, but they taste fresher. And they don't get that icy taste that popsicles frozen the old-fashioned way do.

We also got this handy-dandy airtight Zoku pops storage case and this amazing recipe book with our Christmas present. I need to add extra popsicle sticks and the the cool tools to our collection at some point.

If you don't have one of these Zoku pops makers, you don't have to worry. You can make these the traditional freezer way, you'll just have to wait a lot longer. ;)

Projected prep time: 3 minutes; Projected freeze time: Under 10 minutes (if using Zoku, longer if traditional)
(Printable Recipe)

3/4 cup original coconut milk (not flavored or low-fat etc. I usually use Silk)
1/4 cup original almond milk (same info and brand as above)
1/3 cup Nutella (okay if it's slightly heaping)

Mix all ingredients together until blended well and no chunks of Nutella are evident. I used a hand immersion blender, but feel free to use the method of your choice. Cover and refrigerate until cold (the night before is perfect). Pour into popsicle molds according to the manufacturer's directions until frozen.

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally Does Waffles!

Logo designed by Anile Prakash

Waffles this month, and I missed it again! My friends in the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally cooked up some delicious waffles for you as their challenge this time around, and even though I had to miss out on the challenge again this time around, I wanted to share the delicious recipes the other participants cooked up for us.

If you've been keeping up with the rally, you've probably noticed that things have slowed down. So many of us have had such big changes in our lives, or busyness ... or both, that we've had to put some things on the back burner. There are only two participants in the rally this month, and I applaud them for carrying it on for us until we can jump back into things with them.

Morri over at Meals with Morri was the host this month, and she mentions several of these life events in her host post with these amazing and beautiful blueberry waffles.

Who doesn't love waffles?

Be sure to check out Morri's waffles, as well as Discovering the Extraordinary Heather's Sunshine Waffles.

If you aren't familiar with the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, I have a rally page here where I link to all the challenges I participated in, as well as host posts to those I didn't. Try it out - baking by ratio gives you kitchen independence you never could imagined before trying it!

Garlic and Sapphires .. a book recommendation

"Time slows down in the kitchen, offering up an entire universe of small satisfactions." - Ruth Reichl

That above line spoke to me last night, and I thought I better share it with you just in case you needed to hear it, as well. Things have been a little chaotic in my little world lately, and I needed that reminder. The entire paragraph that precedes this line was soothing to me as it described different elements, sounds and smells of cooking.

My aunt gave me "Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise" for my birthday several months ago and I finally had a chance to start reading it recently. (I'm one of those people who reads at least two or three books at a time but I like to stick to one of those books as a pleasure read and finish it before picking up another pleasure read - I had a few books to check off my list before picking this one up.) I'm enjoying it immensely and highly recommend it to anyone who knows the joy of eating good food or cooking it, or both. Even if you don't, I think you'll enjoy it.

Reichl writes the above line in a chapter where she's describing a time in her life that I can identify with at this very moment. I think I just need to escape to the kitchen for a few minutes when I'm feeling overwhelmed and let the familiar methods, rhythms and smells engulf me without feeling like I *have* to do this or that quickly. Even slicing an avocado would give me more stress relief and would be better for me than reaching for that candy bar as a quick break from work. I can read a page or two of this book as I'm enjoying it before getting back to busy.

Gluten-Free Ratio Rally Does Souffle!

Logo designed by Anile Prakash

The Gluten-Free Ratio Rally is at it again this month with a perfect Valentine's Day treat, whether you are looking for sweet or savory: Souffle!

I tried to work a couple of souffle trials into my life this past month, but it just didn't happen. I love souffle, so I hope to provide you with at least one souffle recipe at some point in the future, but for now I didn't want you to miss out on the yummy recipes provided by rally participants this month. The rally was small - I guess life is happening in a big way for many of us at the moment - but please make time to visit the delicious posts written up for you!

T.R. from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies is the host for the rally this month, and made a beautiful chocolate souffle for us. Check it out, as well as the souffles from the other participants, which can be found on T.R.'s host post.

If you aren't familiar with the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally and freedom in the kitchen by using weight, you can check out my rally page here, where I include links to all the rally challenges I've participated in, as well as links to the host posts from those I didn't get a chance to work on.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Zucchini "Panini"

If you ignore the homework mess in the upper left of this photo and forgive the lighting, you'll discover a delicious, quick and super-simple meal to serve on these oh-so-busy school nights. I call it zucchini "panini."

Corn tortillas, zucchini, white onions, mozzarella, salt and pepper and about 20 minutes from start to finish for five of these yummies.

My husband and daughters got me this Cuisinart Griddler for Mother's Day this last year. While I'd been eyeing the appliance for a few years, I had hesitations about it being just that: Another appliance that gets pulled out for use a few times a year and takes up space the rest of the time. Boy, was I wrong. With the exception of my mixer, the coffee maker and my blender, it probably gets used more any other small appliance in my kitchen. We even make our fresh eggs on it in the morning, sandwiching them together between the flat side of the plates for about a minute or two, and we have "fried" eggs without frying them. This griddler is what I make the zucchini paninis on.

Projected prep time, start to finish, for 5: About 20 minutes

(Printable Recipe)

10 gluten-free corn tortillas

2 or 3 zucchini, cut in half, then slice each in four slices lengthwise

Half of a medium white onion, or a whole small one, sliced

Shredded mozzarella

Sea salt

Italian pepper

Place panini grill plates into griddler and heat on grill setting at medium/high. If when you begin to cook, the grill marks don't start to brown the vegetables within a couple of minutes, turn the heat to high.

Cut onion in half and slice it. Place slices onto grill, close and cook for a couple of minutes.

While onion is cooking, cut up zucchini. Remove onions and place on a plate, then put the zucchini slices onto grill, close and cook for two or three minutes. Remove and place on plate.

On one corn tortilla, sprinkle a small handful of mozzarella onto surface, then top with three or four zucchini slices. Top with several onion slices, then grind some sea salt over the vegetables and follow with a dash or two of Italian pepper. Sprinkle more mozzarella over vegetables and top with another corn tortilla. Repeat. Place the two "sandwiches" on the grill and close the plates, cooking for a few minutes until the tortilla surface has crisped up and cheese is melting well.

Continue repeating until you have enough. Slice panini in half, or quarters.This recipe will make five "paninis."

Enjoy!

New Year and Top 10 from 2012

Happy belated New Year! I just realized that, not only am I late in wishing you a happy new year (at least it's still January, right?) - but I also forgot to do my top 10 recipes from 2012 for New Year's Eve, or shortly after.

It's always hard for me to make this list, but I think I've got them down now:

1. Triple Chocolate Brownies I make these nearly every weekend, and we still aren't tired of them.

2. Slightly Sweet Crepes with Caramelized Bananas and Nutella Sauce I have made these crepes many times since this, and I also make a savory version I also need to share with you.

3. Chicken and Mushroom Penne with Sundried Tomato Pesto Feta Cream Sauce Enough said!

4. Whole Grain Pecan Drop Biscuits Don't let the "whole grain" bit fool you into thinking these aren't marvelous. You won't want to stop eating them if you are anything like me, or my family.

5. Super Strawberry Green Smoothie

6. Date Pecan Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

7. Banana Mug Cake

8. Cheese Baked Eggplant with Warm Red Quinoa

9. Pecan Tollhouse Tarts

10. Hot Cross Buns

Thank you for your support in 2012! I hope you enjoy these, and I hope 2013 has started off as a great year for you so far. Here is to a year full of health and happiness for us all!