Photo challenge Days 14-29

Day 14: Eyes. Sorry, Thursday is my long day. 

Day 15: Silhouette. Speckles in the window.

Day 16: A good habit. Reading my scriptures, usually on my phone though.

Day 17: Technology. Screenshot from my iphone, 

it has everything I need to keep our crazy life organized.

Day 18: Your shoes.

Day 19: Something you want.

Day 20: In my bag. Couple of notebooks & pens, wallet, glasses, house & storage keys, bobby pins, a plethora of chapstick &lipgloss, car key & gym card, small bag with lady things & medications. 

Oh, and the side pockets have headphones, hand sanitizer & lotion.

Day 21: Faceless self portrait. My hair in a french braid.

Day 22: Inspirational. Quote by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Day 23: Patterns. The cover of my favorite notebook.

Day 24: Animal. Here are our animals, T-bone & Speckles.

Day 25: Strangers.

 I haven't yet met this nephew of mine. 

Soon Sean, we'll snuggle.

Day 26: Close up.

Day 27: Celebration. Dustin's birthday (the 28th) 

we had a little party at his volleyball game the day before.

Day 28: Black & White. Columbia River Temple.

 A good end to an awful week.

Day 29: Flower.

My Gluten Free Life

labels at Fred Meyer

"Hi, my name is Shaylee. I am gluten intolerant, 

my last donut was 8 weeks ago"

The following are pictures of my adventures in gluten free baking.

This is my first gluten free fail. 

I was trying out different gluten free flours.

I have since discovered a flour mix that is excellent for baking, cookies at least.

Found here, but for your convenience I will include it here as well.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

Ingredients

• 1 C white rice flour
• 
  
• 1 C oat flour
• 
  
• 1 C coconut flour
• 
  
• 1 C tapioca flour/starch
• 
  
• 1/4 C cornstarch
• 
  
• 3 1/2 tsp. xantham gum

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients together and make sure they are mixed well. 
• 
  
• Store in an airtight container and use as flour in any baking recipe.

**my suggestions:  the 3 1/2 tsp of xantham gum is almost exactly what comes in the small packets you can buy @ Walmart, so its no use buying a larger amount. I sifted the flours together twice before I used it to bake.**

I recently made sugar cookies using this flour, they were great. You use this flour exactly as you would normal flour, but gluten free flour acts differently and bakes differently. So I let the dough "rest" in the freezer for 30 minutes before rolling it out, and I reduced the oven temperature and increased the baking time.

This is the best cake mix that I have used thus far, it wasn't dry or gritty like others I've sampled. The cupcakes that I made were  moist, and the texture was spongy and just a little more dense than "normal" cupcakes. Overall, deliciousness so I made cupcakes, decorated them and froze them to eat later.

And these are the cupcakes I made. 

We decorated them for a contest that Grandma Wiberg hosted. 

Shaylee's Rose cupcake- GF, also my first roses.

Joseph's John Deere cupcake- not GF, very original.

**Note: we don't have sweets often, most of my baking is holiday related or to give away**

Up next: Yummy gluten free foods we've had, with recipes!

30 day photo challenge

So this month I decided that it would be fun to do a photo challenge, not because anyone else was doing it, purely fun. I found a list of picture prompts that I liked and started it at the beginning of the month.

Day 1: Self Portrait

Day 2: what you wore, striped shirt and favorite black boots, I love the back zipper.

Day 3: Clouds

Day 4: Something green. Yes, my student came to lessons wearing this. 

(N age 8)

Day 5: After Dark

Day 6: Obsession. Chopin's Waltz in A flat Major. Memorization.

Day 7: Changes to come. 

This on was hard, here's a fun wedding photo. 

We'll be celebrating 7 years in 2 months, and hope for good changes to come. 

Day 8: Routine. This is my daily hair styling routine: 

super skinny serum, twirl around styling cream and  finish up with worked up spray.

 Sometimes diffuse with blow dryer. 

Love my Paul Mitchell products.

Day 9: Someone you love. 

Joseph my handsome husband, I love you so much!

Day 10: Childhood memory. Ione Washington, family reunions and thunderstorms. 

A little ways down from this cabin is my great uncle's place, where I remember swinging on a huge rope out into this river one summer.

Day 11: Something Blue. My birthstone is blue topaz, 

I got this ring for my 18th birthday. I love the heart details. 

Day 12: Sunset, this is actually a sunrise. 

Oh well, that's what happens when you work afternoon/ evenings.

Day 13: Cannot live without. Joseph & chapstick,

 honestly those were my first thoughts.

P.S. we got all the paperwork in for Joseph's wheelchair, hope everything goes through. And when he does get his new chair we're going to have a party, cake and ice cream! (gluten-free of course)