Gluten Free Pie Crust Hack

Gluten Free Pie Crust Hack

It's that time of year when we are making pies for our loving families. But what do we do for our family members who can't eat gluten? 

You could spend a fortune buying gluten free pie dough or pre-made pie shells. Or you could try my easy and cheap gluten free pie crust hack. 

I bet you already have the ingredients you need.

Cheerio's! 

Say What? 

Yep. Cheerio's are made gluten free. All you have to do is use them in place of Graham cracker crumbs for any of your pie recipes. And you can use any kind of Cheerio's you have on hand. It's that easy. It's that cheap. It's that amazingly awesome!

In case you don't have a graham cracker crumb recipe here is mine with instructions of how to prep your Cheerios for your pie crust. 

All you need is: 

1 1/2 cup Cheerio crumbs 

1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 a stick) 

2 Tablespoons white sugar 

Put the Cheerio's into your food processor or blender. Blend until a fine crumb is formed, about 30 seconds.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups Cheerio crumbs and put into your desired pan.

Mix in the melted butter until all the crumbs are coated. 

Mine isn't pressed into the sides of the pan perfectly but you get the idea!

Press along the edges of the pan. 

Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees. 

And that is it! You now have a gluten free pie crust that didn't break the bank! 

Enjoy!

No More Naked Barbies!

Do you ever get tiered of finding your daughters Barbie dolls laying around... in the nude? I sure do and it is a huge pet peeve of my hubby. So I decided to do something about it.
I took some finger nail polish and painted swimsuits on all the Barbies in my house. And you know what? My girls thought they were darling!
So after some new dolls arrived in the house I allowed my girls to paint the swimsuits on the dolls... with a lot of supervision of course.
Here is what it was like at our house yesterday afternoon!

Here is their finished Barbie! I had to help BJ a lot. Poor Aroura ended up with paint up to her chin. Thankfully we had nail polish remover on hand. Don't let you kids do this without you there to help!
The girls had a blast and I love that they are willing to keep their toys modest!

Writing An Emotionally Abusive Character

Writing An Emotionally Abusive Character

It has been so long since I last posted. It's lame of me, I know. And excuses are like earlobes in that everybody has 2... hopefully. But after a crazy summer with all 5 kids home with me, postpartum depression, and traveling all summer long I am FINALLY feeling like myself again and able to take a minute to write.

Speaking of writing did you know I am trying to write a book? Seriously, I am! I have always loved reading great books and being in a book club is one of my favorite things to do. But after reading one lousy book after another that just left me wondering how in the world they got published in the first place I decided I should stop complaining and start fixing the problem.

 SO... I am now in the process of writing a book of my own!

I really love writing. Getting to know the characters has been fun and trying to express the story that is so vivid in my head on to paper had been a creative challenge. I always liked those.

So in the story I have 2 sisters. One is a sweetie and the other... well not so sweet. The not so sweet sister, or Noss as I call her, has been a long time forming. She has taken on many different attitudes with the other characters but the one that always seems to stick is the most intriguing.

As I have been writing I have come to realize that the not so sweet sister, Noss, is actually emotionally abusive to the other sister.

Say what? I've heard about physical abuse but what is emotional abuse?

Well I am so glad that you asked!

Everyone knows about physical abuse. It's easy to tell if someone is physically abusing you. They hit you leave. (That is the very simple explanation. I know there is more to it than that.)

But emotional abuse is harder to see. How can you tell it someone is emotionally abusive, like Noss or not. That is where this awesome article I read came in to help me out.

It's called 11 Signs You Might Be In An Emotionally Abusive Relationship from huffpost.com.
Some of the signs that Noss kept exhibiting surprised me that they were even emotional abuse. So let me share them with you.

1. Apologizing when you did nothing wrong 
  Noss is such a manipulative character that she has sweet sister apologizing when she did nothing wrong. How? Noss has convinced Sweet Sister that she is inconsiderate and selfish by telling her these things over and over again until Sweet Sister believes her. Not cool.

2. Your partner is hot and cold 
  Your partner is loving one moment and distant and unavailable the next. No matter how hard you try to figure out why, you can’t. They deny being withdrawn, and you start panicking, trying hard to get back into their good graces. Absent an explanation for why they’re turned off, you start blaming yourself. Done often enough, this can turn a relatively independent person into an anxious pleaser.” ― Peg Streep, author of Daughter Detox: Recovering from An Unloving Mother and Reclaiming Your Life

  I thought that this summed it up perfectly. Noss is endless switching her emotions multiple times in a single scene so that Sweet Sister is totally confused! That has to be hard to deal with.

3. Withholding of affection to punish you 
  This is one that Noss does often. She will withhold affection of praise for everyone unless they go along with what she wants, when she wants it, how she wants it. Noss has so many strings attached that she is a proverbial puppet master of everyone she knows. No one wants strings attached in a relationship, especially with your sister.

4. You feel sorry for your partner, even though they hurt you! 
“Emotional abusers are master manipulators, and they are able to screw you over while at the same time making you feel that it’s either your fault, or at the very least, something they couldn’t help because of their childhood or a past relationship, how hurt they are over something you said or did or even nothing at all ― you just feel sorry for them. Victims of emotional abuse often overlook their abusers’ behavior because they are overly relating with the ‘hurt’ part of the abuser — the innocent part, or the side of the abuser that seems lost, rejected, abandoned.” ― Stines

  Noss is a master manipulators. This has Sweet Sister feeling like every problem in their relationship is her fault. Even when it isn't! 

All of these manipulative things eventually pushes the character of Sweet Sister to take drastic measures to leave the situation so she can be honestly happy. It is a major enticing incident in the book. 

While it will still be a while until this book is done I am so excited to be sharing some of the it with you. I hope that it will get you as excited to read the book as I am to write it.

Until Next Time!!

Hannah's Yummy Smoothies!!

Hannah's Yummy Smoothies!!

My daughter dreams of being a rock star chef. Yes you read that right. She wants to cook amazing food in her own restaurant some day and sing to people while she does it.
I thinks it's a great idea! She loves to cook (and is great at it;) and is a natural singer. I mean this kids voice is going to rock the world she is so good! (And that is the professional singer in me talking not the mom)
So I decided that I would share this video of her making her classic smoothy recipe. This is one of the first things she learned to do all on her own... with only minimal hovering from mom who is worried about her using kitchen appliances.

Smoothie Recipe in case you need it again. 

1 Cup Frozen Strawberries

1 Cup Plain Yogurt 

1 Cup Apple Juice

1 Tablespoon Sugar 

If you use flavored yogurt then you don't need to add the sugar and it tastes just as good. 

Any way! Try to make the smoothies yourself. I know you will love them:)

When Dad Was Gone: The true story

When Dad is Gone: The True Story

Have you ever thought you were supermom? Have you ever felt invinsible?
Well I have. Several times, in fact. And every time I felt like I was the best mother since motherhood was invented something always happened to bring me crashing back to earth and face my human failings.
What happened to cause my recent realization? I am so glad you asked...

It all started a few weeks ago when my hubby told me he had to be out a town fro a few days for work. Since he usually doesn't have to travel for more than a day trip, a few days away sounded like an eternity! Still, I was determined that my kids and I would have a successful time while he was away. (Successful meaning we all survived with minimal tears)
So the day of the trip came and I and my 5 kids all waved good-bye to daddy. I got all the kids ready for school and at their various buildings in pretty good time. I kept the house clean, cooked a nutritious dinner, got everybody to their different evening events, and even managed to babysit for a friend of mine. When daddy came home 2 days later I felt great. I had done it!
As my reward for those few days of single mom-ness I got to go to the temple and Time Out For Women. Let me tell you, I felt great! I was renewed and motivated for everything I needed to do in my life.
Then came the big trip!
My wonderful husband had another work related trip that would take him across the country for 5 days. (This is not mentioning all the time he had to spend at work to get ready for this trip) Well, you can imagine that it was a busy time for all of us here at home. But I was still determined that I would be successful. Nay, that I would thrive under in this situation. After all, what is the point in having a good week followed but the amazing uplifting of temple attendance if you can't do better the next week?
Despite the task of taking care of my 5 small children all on my own we had a great week. We were all where we needed to be almost as soon as we needed to be there. We ate dinner together every night. We even got to video call daddy every night which the kids loved.
By Saturday I was feeling so good about everything that we made it an outing day. We went to the grocery store and got doughnuts from the bakery, went to the library and had some play time, and even made a quick stop by the pharmacy. Things were really looking good. I only had one day left to make it till by other half came home. Sunday.
Now with 11 o'clock church it would seem hard to be overwhelmed in the morning. It would seem hard to be late. And your right. It would seem to be that way. 
The kids all got up around their normal time. They did their normal Sunday morning things and even all got dressed on their own. This were running so smoothly that I had no problem sitting down to feed the baby at 9. I was so confident in my ability to get my kids to church on time that I even started to plan my Facebook post for the day. It was going to be a photo of all of us sitting in a church pew a whole 10 minutes before the meeting started with the caption "Rocking it as a single mom."
HAHAHAHAHA
Oh the arrogance! Oh the inability to understand what a child is capable of in just a matter of minutes!
After I got the baby down for a brief nap I went downstairs to get everyone's hair brushed. And that's when I first noticed a curly lock of hair laying on the bathroom floor. I called in my oldest and she informed me of which child it belonged to. Brookly Jane!
I called the offending child to me and noticed for the first time that someone had indeed cut her hair... All of her bangs were now less that and inch long!
I haven't ever seen such a bad hack job before and it looked bad. I mean BAD! I lost it then, completely lost it. I started to laugh so hard I was crying! It was hilarious!
Then I noticed that my informant, Hannah, also had something going on with the front of her hair. She had cut her bangs off as well!
She was the one who had been chopping hair and was trying to blame it on her little sister. Wow!
It's really hard for kids to understand how upset you are about a situation when you are leaning on the wall because you are laughing so hard. This was the perfect end to my perfect week and served me right. I had been so cocky and so full of pride.
Honestly, I wasn't even that mad until I saw Clark. His big sister had cut a chunk from that back of his hair. Not my precious baby curls! I really think that if Liz had any hair the girls would have cut that too. (They didn't try it on Hyrum because he freaks out if scissors come any where near his head.)

It took me the next hour to even up everyone's hair. There wasn't much to be done about Brookly except let it grow out, poor kid. Hannah thought she looked beautiful after her hair cut.
But Clark, my poor Clark, had to have his hair buzzed. The entire time I kept thinking "By Odin's beard you shall not cut my hair!"
In the end we did make it to church. We were only a few minutes late but it all worked out. And I learned a valuable lesson from it all. Don't plan your prideful Facebook posts first thing in the morning or you will have a crazy day;)

Replacing A Coat Zipper

Replacing A Coat Zipper

Do you have kids? They go through clothes like crazy. Okay let's be totally honest here, kids go through everything like crazy! But clothing kids, especially if you have a large family, can get very expensive.
I am a firm believer that if you want to have a large family, even on one income like my hubby and I do so I can stay home with the kids, then Heavenly Father will provide a way. That way comes in lots of forms. Everything from babysitting other children, to coupons, to being really thrifty by buying a coat when its on sale at the end of the previous winter season. Yup, that's how I got my son his awesome new coat for the currant school year.
Another way we have been able to live frugally is to mend things before we resort to buying something new. In order to keep up with all the wear and tear kids put on their clothes I had to learn to sew. My mom taught me the basics when I was in high school and I filled in the rest with lots of practice. It has come in handy! Because I can do some basic sewing I am able to save money by repairing my families clothing items instead of replacing them all the time.
When the zipper on my sons coat broke after just a few weeks of wear I was pretty annoyed. But I didn't just throw out the coat. I spent $3 on a new zipper and now his coat is as good as new!

1. The first thing you have to do is find out what size of zipper you need. Measure your existing coat zipper for the size. Zippers sold in the stores are measured from the bottom of the zipper to the extra fabric at the top. It's usually 1 inch of extra space that you don't really need. Get a zipper that's as close to the zipper you need as possible.
If you are having trouble getting a new zipper that is just the right size get one that is a tiny bit on the small side. It is better to deal with a new zipper that is 1 inch too small than to have one that is 1 inch too big. Trust me!

2. Next, get the old zipper out of there! This requires a seam ripper and some patience. It takes a while to get old zippers out since most coats have them sewn in really well. Do your best and take your time. As you remove the old zipper keep track of all the places the coat was attached to it. Then you will be able to attach the new zipper in the same places. 

3. Pin the new zipper in. Make sure you have kept careful track of where the old zipper was attached so you can put the new one in the exact same place. If you look at my picture you will see that part of my zipper is pinned the 'wrong' direction. This is so I can sew it to the interior of the front of the coat before I attach it to the inside lining of the coat.

If your new zipper is a bit too small, that's ok. You can either tuck the extra inch in and put the zipper all the way at the top of the coat. This gives you an inch of loose fabric at the bottom. Or you can use the whole zipper and have an extra inch at the top. 

4.  Now the fun part. Sewing the zipper in! If you have a zipper foot for your sewing machine then thank your angels up above. If not, it's ok. I don't have one and am still able to do lots of sewing projects.
On the side that has the zipper tab sew half of the new zipper in. Keeping the needle embedded in the zipper, lift the foot so you can move the zipper tab past the needle. Put the foot back down and continue on your way. You may need to back stitch a few stitches to make sure everything is still lined up.

And there you are! You have just replaced a zipper in a coat. Great job! 

Here is a photo of what my sons coat looked like when I was finished. I actually like this zipper way more that the cheap plastic one that used to be there. The new metal one will last much longer. Maybe even through the next boy who wears this coat;)

Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

German Style 

Rice Pudding with raisins and cinnamon

I served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany and Austria. While there I fell in love with German cuisine. I learned from wonderful German women how to make food that was like a piece of heaven on a plate.
Here is one of the first German recipes I learned to make. It's sweet, creaminess is certain to bring a smile to the faces of your family.

Rice Pudding:
2 Cups Milk
1 tsp. Butter
1/2 Cup White Rice
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream, whipped
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

In a medium saucepan bring the milk and butter to a boil. Stir well. Add the rice and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once rice is tender remove pan from heat. Mix in the sugar. Whip the cream and add it to the rice. Stir well. Dish into bowls. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

I enjoy this pudding warm and with some raisins in it. My hubby likes it best after it has been chilled in the fridge. And my kids love it for breakfast! Either way, it is a delightful addition to any day.

Frugal Food

Frugal Food

Lentils and Rice Casserole

It may look simple but this is one tasty meal.

The new year is always the time for new goals. Two of the most common goals deal with money and food. Everyone wants to eat better while spending less money at the same time. And guess what? You can!
Here is one of my most frugal meal recipes. This recipe checks a ton of boxes for different  diets such as gluten free and vegetarian. It's cheap, easy, and tastes really good!

Lentils and Rice Casserole:

3 Cups Water
3/4 Cup Uncooked Lentils, rinsed
1/2 Cup Uncooked Brown Rice, rinsed
3/4 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp. Oregano
1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Place all ingredients, except cheese, into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix well. Cover with tinfoil. Bake at 300 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours, until tender and water is absorbed. Remove tinfoil. Top with cheese. Bake uncovered until cheese is melted.

And that's it! It takes me 5 minutes to throw this meal together and it can bake while I drive kids to all their activities. Easy, healthy, and frugal.