Individual drinking chocolate for the dairy-averse

Ugh, it is winter (it has been since the first of October!) and it looms large without the chance of hot chocolate on my part.  Most of the commercial stuff has either Sucralose, whey, or milk in it, none of which I can have, and though I've tried almond milk, I don't foresee myself keeping the stuff on hand so that doesn't help.  But what about drinking chocolate?  I found a recipe some years back for basically hot cocoa on steroids (it uses real milk and dark chocolate) and it is wonderful, but can I adapt it for a single serving and using ingredients I have on hand and can tolerate?  Yep!  Is it potable?  Yes!  Is it delightful?  Yep!  What are we waiting for?

In a small pot combine:

1/3 cup non-dairy coffee creamer (the unflavored, powdered kind)
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp unsweetened baking cocoa
a dash of salt and flavored extract (vanilla, almond, mint, etc) or cinnamon or flavored syrup may also be added

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and all ingredients are dissolved and add 2 tbsp of your favorite dark chocolate (chopped or chips) and stir over medium heat until dissolved.  Pour into your favorite pretty cup or mug and savor.  You can also leave out the water/creamer and substitute 2/3 cup of milk, cream, or your favorite pseudo milk.

Cookies for the gluten-averse

I miss cookies, the texture, the taste, the warm gooey goodness, I've tried substitutions, but they either run everywhere or are pretty starchy and not quite the real thing.  Then I found this ridiculous recipe somewhere in the wide web world and was rather surprised.  I don't like peanut butter cookies as a rule, but these hit the spot!

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, and one egg.  I added a bit of salt and vanilla too.  Place a spoonful on a cookie sheet and squash/shape as desired.  Bake just until the top starts to slightly crack and allow to cool on the pan a minute or two, watch them, they can burn quick!  They are little heavy (but so are peanut butter cookies) but the texture/taste is right on.  If only I could drink milk!

Real good clothes, a fairy tale!

“…in Narnia your good clothes were never your uncomfortable ones. They knew how to make things that felt beautiful as well as looking beautiful in Narnia; and there was no such thing as starch or flannel or elastic to be found from one end of the country to the other.” “…she…put on the clothes that had been laid out for her—they were the kind that not only felt nice, but looked nice and smelled nice and made nice sounds when you moved as well…” ~C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia~

If only modern fashion (or any fashion!) could be like Narnian clothes, but I suppose most fashion designers don't have time to read fairy tales, or even try wearing their own clothes, more's the pity!

On Getting a Life

I never wanted kids.  Growing up in abuse and neglect really sours your view of family, not to mention of the world itself.  I hated babysitting, mostly because I could never say no and got all the kids with no discipline whatsoever, nor did I have any idea of how to interact with children (or anyone else for that matter), but the neighbor kids saved me from utter and complete despair on that point, not perfect but real, showing me that a happy family wasn't just something found in fairy tales, that the world wasn't so dark and grim and hopeless as my current situation portrayed.  My life didn't have to fall into the rut laid down by countless generations before me, but I would have to be active in climbing out of that rut, else I'd end there by default.  But then who would ever deign to marry me?  I'd never get married and never have kids, a career woman I'd be.  Easy, no problems there, I'd have a full and successful life with none of the ache and pain of family.

My mother is the ultimate career woman.  Every time I call or say we're in the neighborhood, she's busy, has to work, important stuff to do...she hasn't seen her two year old granddaughter in a year and a half.  Okay, I've heard the same refrain since I was old enough to understand spoken language.  I'm tired of chasing her, bending myself into an unnatural shape hoping she'll love me this time.  But it's pointless, I'm never good enough, I'm never enough, she's too busy and important.  She has her career!  Boy does she seem happy (yes, sarcasm), sitting alone on her couch every evening watching 'American Pickers.'  The phone never rings with a friend on the other end.  There's no cheery card on her birthday.  She works every holiday, not so others can be home with their families, but so she doesn't have to be.  But she has her career and reruns, what more could she desire?

She had a family, but chose to lie in the rut, she didn't want to do the hard things, the painful things, the inconvenient things.  Now it lies ruined and broken, scattered and indifferent, like all the broken branches of our family tree as far back as you can go.  I didn't want a family, I'd never have one, but boy was I wrong; I had a career but it wasn't enough.  I'm a human person, I require relationships (not necessarily a spouse and kids!) to function and be happy and be fulfilled, but it requires admitting your brokenness, that you aren't perfect, in accepting the other person isn't either.  You need to endure inconvenience, frustration, nuisance, tedium, and the tempestuousness of another's moods.  It is so much more convenient to have all our relationships online or via text, but that isn't how we grow and it really isn't a relationship or a life, merely an existence, like my mother.

If all your friends are on facebook or you mostly text with those currently with you at a restaurant or in a car, you may have a problem.  When was the last time you had a real conversation with a congenial human person face to face (not FaceTime!)?  Lose the screen, pick up the awkwardness, and truly get a life, not just an existence.  

Italian Ice at Home

During our travels this summer I ran across a novel discovery: Italian ice, which is basically just sugar, water, and some sort of fruit juice/flavoring frozen in such a way as to minimize the size of the ice crystals, making it very smooth in texture versus say a slushy.  I scoured the interweb to discover if there was a way to do it at home (we living a thousand miles from the nearest retailer).  After scanning a few interesting recipe prospects, I adapted the various candidates to the following, which turned out most delicious:

Combine 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add 3/4 cup fruit juice concentrate of your choice (half of a frozen juice container, thawed) and stir until well combined.  Place in a freezer safe container with a lid and freeze.  Stir every hour or so to begin with, but as the concoction begins to set, stir every 10-15 minutes until no liquid remains.  You can eat it right away or store in the freezer, allowing it to thaw on the counter for 5 minutes before scraping a serving off the top with a metal ice cream scoop.  Enjoy!

The Most Important and Best Parenting Advice Ever!

Yes, I know every mommy blog claims just that at some point, but this is the real deal, the thing that will give your kid the best chance in life: love.  No, I'm not talking about letting junior do whatever they want because that's love, it isn't, it's indulgence or laziness or a thousand other things, but it ain't love.  C.S. Lewis's 'The Four Loves' is a great read for anyone struggling with this concept, which would be every human person.  Love in its purest and best form is doing what is best for the beloved, not what the beloved wants or what the lover feels like, but doing the hard things, the painful things, the boring things.  So love your kids, yourself, and your spouse, it isn't easy, but it's been proven time and again to be the best way not only to raise kids, but to live and flourish, anything less is mere survival.

How to cook rice noodles so that they are actually edible

In my attempt to find a semi-normal diet whilst avoiding wheat, I've stumbled upon an affordable replacement for wheat noodles: noodles made from brown rice.  Someone gave me some corn noodles, which were good, but I can't locate an affordable source, so rice it is.  If you've ever over-cooked rice, you may have an inkling of what I'm about to say.  The first time or two, they turned out perfectly and I was in love.  The next time or three, they morphed into an inedible gelatinous glob and ruined several attempts at a decent meal.  I was about to give up on them entirely but I had three pounds of brown rice spaghetti in my cupboard that would need to be used up and I didn't have another alternative, so I sought the secret of actually successfully cooking the horrid things.  I'd done it before by accident, I should be able to do it again.  And I did finally succeed, here's what I learned:

Lots of water!  When the package of wheat noodles says cook in 6 quarts of water, I laugh and use far less without any problem, but the rice noodles definitely need it.  Even if I'm only making one serving, I still use my six quart pot to cook them.

Stir frequently.

Read the package directions, but watch the noodles closely rather than just the clock.  The package said 9-10 minutes, mine took about 12.  Too little cooking and they are unchewable sticks.  Too much and you get glue.  If in doubt, taste one and see.  They should be limp but not mushy.  If there's any chance of leftovers, under cook them a tad.

Rinse under cold water immediately and then throw into your waiting sauce and stir well.  Annoying perhaps, but otherwise they develop an unbreakable attachment to one another.

You can eat the silly things, but they are far more finicky than their wheaty cousins.