Being Stephanie: 12.10

On the First Day of Christmas....

My blogger friends rescued me...

Can one be rescued by presents? Well, not exactly. But one can be rescued by a wave of love and friendship, and that's what I needed. Its one of those things where you know people care, but they are far away and here you are feeling all alone by your circumstances and then somebody reaches out across geographic distances and shakes you by the shoulders and says "You are NOT alone, you are loved! And we are here for you!"

And that's what you guys did for me, you made me stronger when I wasn't feeling very strong. :-( I needed that strength to get through the holiday with Hubby being kinda really depressed, and me trying to make him feel better.

Completely unsuspecting I started coming home to boxes! Now one box and I was thinking "Awww how sweet is that! Someone sent me Christmas presents!" But then more boxes showed up and I was thinking - "Hmmm I suspect a plan." Though I don't really know what or how they planned I know several of you got together and decided to be me angles this holiday season. And I cannot thank you enough.

Because of you I was strong for Christmas.

Because of you the doggies had full stocking hanging on the wall.

Because of you we had presents under the tree.

Because of you we could afford a nice Christmas dinner (BECG -Thank you so much).

Because of you we did not have the Christmas I was prepared for.

You guys were my heros.....sniff.....thanks.....(((HUGS))). Yes I did cry, but it was later after I had gotten everything out and under the tree...

This is how it started... 2 boxes on them said "On the First day of Christmas my Blogger friends gave to me...."

It was just so amazing I can't even begin to describe how wonder and mysterious it felt to open these up at the same time.

These soaps are beautiful - and while they are made by Aunt Krissy from Transplanted Alaskan Blog (hope i got that right?) they are from Oregon Sunshine or at Adventures of Life blog. They smell wonderful and are all natural, the ingredients are all listed right on them, which is really handy for sensitive skinned people like me. You know, I have recently found out that most Celiac Disease folks have sensitive skin - just and interesting side note. My Hubby even liked the soaps!

And then this box come from AK Pony Girl- from AK Pony Girl's Riding Log Blog as a joint effort with Oregon Sunshine.

They are responsible for filling my doggie's stocking nearly full with all of the treats and toys from Alaska.

Also they outfitted me with that wonderful box of smoked salmon which I love eating multiple ways. I Love to make a pasta with it. I Love to eat it on a gluten free cracker with a touch of cream cheese then topped with a bread and butter pickle - that's right I said a pickle - you HAVE to try it sometime its just wonderful. Its does something to the fish, like it brings out the flavor or something, its good! I also make "smoked salmon cream cheese balls with it - which is what I did in this case so it was a snack on Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.

Not one, not two, but 3 books! I am not familiar with the author but I really haven't met a book I didn't like so of course I will read them! I like mysteries - like the way they keep you hooked, flipping pages till the wee hours of the morning. So I am looking forward to starting these.

They also sent me some wonderful ALASKA coffee blends! I am still working on the first one, so can't report on them all but the first one is excellent! I can't imagine these others are any less.

More doggie treats - that Buffalo bone was devoured on Christmas Day by Diesel - who now thinks Christmas is the best Holiday ever Ever EVER, and why can't it be every day mom?

The mints and Greenies dental chew went to Roper who frankly needed them. LOL!

There was also a cute Christmas mug for the new coffee AND two keychain lights that look like they are solar powered. I LOVE and use them on all my hiking gear so I can get in and out of my bags and pack in the dark without hunting down a flash light or flipping on the tent light.

Kaiser really enjoyed the fuzzy moon - it was strange he usually doesn't like toys very much but as soon as I pulled that moon out of the box he was ALL OVER it.

At least he shares though - as soon as Diesel came in the house and saw the new toy he of course stole it and claimed it for his own. German Shepherds!

And then two days went by and I received another couple of boxes that said "On the Second and Third day of Christmas my Blogger friend gave to me...!"

These was from "Squirrelgirl" over at "Notes From The Squirrel Nest" Blog, in a joint effort with Laura, CDN, Mrs Mom, SG and Oregon Sunshine. Squirrelgirl gets a special thank you from me and the group for doing the shopping, packing and mailing!

They were cram packed with Gluten Free goodies like GF Sugar Wafers (oh I am so in heaven - I love sugar wafers!) bread mix, cake mix, frosting mix and other wonderful stuff!

Also she has in there 3 bags of doggie treats made by a friend of hers. These treats came with the pups pictures on them and I thought it was just so FREAKIN CUTE! The treats are all natural, gluten free, the dogs LOVE THEM and they don't give them gas! Hooray for gas free dog treats! Also since they aren't dog junk food I don't have to be the bad mom for denying them treats and i don't feel bad for giving them the treats.

Behold! I would not drink wine on Christmas from a box - it would be nice wine, from a bottle! Thank you so much!

There was also more heavenly coffee, Starbucks VIA, tea, cocoa and a lotion set from Bath and Body Works!

She also hooked my Hubby up with a present. And proclaimed her blog the best! LOL! Sorry guys what can I say, he's easily bought! LOL!

Oh - these jammies are soooo nice and comfy. I had to wear them for Christmas morning. You don't even want to know how long its been since I gotten new jammies. A LONG TIME. Mine are all worn out and thrown away - so I usually sleep in old T-Shirts. These felt so....luxurious!

I cannot thank you all enough....

And then I received this card from BrownEyedCowgirls over at her Blog.
THANK YOU SO MUCH
This came the day I was sitting at the table adding up what I had spent and was thinking about what I could sell to make the bills for next month. Literally, right then Hubby walked inside and handed me the mail - more tears.

My Doggie Pack on Christmas Morning

Suspicious, at first of the Stockings, Diesel thought he detected treats inside.

Interested enough he pulled it in his crate for closer inspection.

Yes. Definitely Treats!

The buffalo bone

The older two dogs - tuckered out from treats, bones and playing...
Yes that is duct-tape on his collar but not because I am too poor to buy a proper collar, its because Diesel has been chewing on it. Has ruined one already, and this one under the duct-tape, so rather than offer up another collar to destroy I just wrapped this one up in duct-tape and am going to wait out the chewing behavior before switching the collar out.... either that or soak it in bitter apple - gonna wait a little bit first.

Thanks again! Some day I hope to be able to repay the favor, though I don't wish my situation on any of you.

Gluten Free Goodies, kinda

I have had a few questions regarding gluten free stuff so I will relate to you all some of what I have learned and tried.

But first I will update you on the missing pup - we are friend with the couple who bred Adolph and Diesel and they are really great people who have their dog's best interests at heart always and know the to the other family through them. Apparently there has been some dishonesty going on with the other couple, there is possibly a drug habit involved and through some major discourse between the family that owns the dam and stud dog, and the couple - it was implied that there is a chance that one of two things happened to Adolph. Either he was taken as compensation for missing payments or he was sold for money to fund or make-up for the lack of funds a drug habit causes. Whatever the case before communication was shut down, it was made clear they didn't want anyone to know what really happened, and we were all told to stop looking for him.

Our friends K and S who bred the dogs are devastated. They made it clear to each and every person they sold a puppy to that if the dogs ever became a burden they would buy them back for purchase price no questions asked. Also they made it a condition that they had first rights for purchase if any of the pups went up for sale. The litter itself was accidental (long story - the stud dog Spartan had too much to drink one night and no one was home sooooo.... ;-) so they tried to take great care in placing the puppies, and have kept track of and kept up on each puppy. There is a good chance unless an outsider with some info steps into help that they will never know what happened to this puppy. I cried myself to sleep the night I heard all of this. Even though he is not our dog I still feel like he was apart of our extended family. All the GSD folks in our area know each other and each other's dogs and we get together from time to time so it's hard not to get to liking everyone's dogs. Plus I was of course thinking of Diesel alot too... So we are leaving the ads up on Craigs List, the flyers are being left up, and my post will stay up - but all communication and tips will be forwarded to our friends K and S. If they can find the puppy they will likely attempt to buy him back....

So now that unhappiness is out of the way........

To answer Lisa's questions about Starbucks - Starbucks Corporate will NOT claim that any of their products are gluten free. This is why. Some of the coffee they use in many of the blends may be processed in facilities where wheat or barley or rye is also processed - so there is a chance of cross-contamination. Also because of the way they contract out for their flavorings its impossible for them to guarantee that they are also Gluten Free. There are many ingredients to espresso flavorings that could possible be made from wheat or barley and even if they aren't they need to be made in a Gluten Free facility and Starbucks can't make them do that, they would need to contract out to a company that specializes in gluten free flavorings or at least could guarantee that there were gluten free, and I guess that its too much to ask of coffee GIANT Starbucks to offer one messily little gluten free espresso.

That being said - I can't afford Starbuck drinks anyways.... I make my own at home and use gluten free flavoring or Grade B Maple syrup, vanilla, egg nog (a small amount my tummy can handle), or chocolate syrup.

There is alot of Gluten Free stuff that I like, but there is even more that I don't like. I have tried ALOT of the mixes and pre-mixed "gluten free all-purpose" flour. And just have been disappointed with most of the them time and time again. Some are good like Gluten Free Mama's mixes, but require so much extra stuff added to it that I might as well make the whole thing by scratch. Some GF all purpose flours are good for some applications - like a 1 to 1 replace for flour in say chocolate chips cookies, but don't work for bread, or muffins... and I can't afford to buy it for only "some" uses.

I can't tell ya how it drives me nuts to look a bag of gluten free pizza mix, only to read that I need to add 7 ingredients - REALLY? That's like 3 ingredients less than making it from scratch myself! Or a pancake mix that you have add, eggs, milk, oil, and ..... sigh..... again, I could just make it from scratch. And at the cost of some of these mixes your not really saving yourself any money by buying them...

Many of my friends and family have proudly bought me Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour Mix and presented it as if they have found a secrete pot of gold no one else knows about. I must have like 4 packs of it in my house. I always gladly accept it, but I do let them know that I did in fact know about it. The thing is..... it's bean flour based and is....well....NASTY. I do use some of it in very small amounts in some recipes for added protein, and softness. So I keep it in the freezer so it doesn't go bad and will some day use it all up. However, just for the record - I know all about Bob's Red Mill and ALL their products, thank you.

I have not found a single flour replacement that works better than the others, I have found many different flours that can be combined in different proportions and combinations to make different stuff. My favorites thus far are - Sorghum Flour, Millet Flour, Oat Flour, and the forever faithful standby of Rice Flour. For desserts Coconut flour, Almond Flour, and Sweet Rice Flour and winners.

I do like alot of BRMs stuff, but for any of their bread or flour or some cookie mixes I always read the ingredients and check for the dreaded bean flour. And here is a tip if you are baking ever with bean flour - DO NOT TASTE THE BATTER - you'll gag for sure, its nasty stuff.

A prize thus far has been Gluten Free Bisquick.