thirty four thru seven

Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, Bross


This past weekend we hiked 4 14ers in one day.  Four!  Yes, be impressed.

Here we are on the top of Dem...

 But really, with a trailhead elevation of 12,000 ft and only 7.25 miles of trial, I would recommended this hike even to newbie 14er baggers. Check out the route here.

Jumping over Mt. Cameron....

 


We had a beautiful day of hiking, and it was the pups' first bag!

Here they are on top of Lincoln.

And here we all are on Bross, just before the hail started.  What a great day!

  Let the 14er season commence!

well wed

I have been away for the last weeks for two weddings on the east coast.  Two amazing weddings, so many friends and family, bonfires, hairy towels, scary movies, games, learned to sail, beach, rocks, rolling corn fields, farms, a pool party, good food, much traveling, oh so wonderful to see everyone and so happy for the two couples.  And happy also about our own one year anniversary.  It has been a good year, and many more to come!  How soon can we all get together again please?  Awesome photo credit goes to Alex Exner.

gluten less pop tarts

DH's request; one of those things he dearly missed from his days of gluten. 

I used this recipe, with my favorite GF pie crust recipe, rolled very thin.  Even if you are into gluten, you should check this one out.  They were awesome.  Pop tarts! Yeah!

weekend outside

Outside: on the deck, watching Soca play in the grass
Reading: The long dark tea time of the soul by Douglas Adams
Drinking: Homemade Chai tea
On the needles: alpaca legwarmers

It was a lovely long weekend filled with family, frisbee and friends, with time enough to remember what a wonderful life we have.  Happy Memorial weekend ~ 

gluten-fail

I am having a bit of an existential crisis over here, and I was hoping for your input.  It would appear that I can no longer bake with gluten.

 Last week, DH asked me to make some brownies for his class, who had impressively earned enough 'brownie points' to get the brownies.  I turned to one of my favorite standby recipes from the old days (gluten filled).  It's been years since I made brownies with gluten.  And between now and then, I have lost the ability to work with it, apparently.  These brownies were a disaster; they wouldn't solidify and finally I burned the bottom to a hard rock trying to get them to form into the deep delicious brownies I had baked before.  Brownie fail.

And this is not the only crisis I have faced!  Only last month I tried to make Carrie's amazing looking carbomb cupcakes, and they imploded.  Carbomb fail.

I've lost my gluten intuition, the guiding force of baking without failure.  Should I just let the gluten go?

immersed

Outside: Summer weather, playing frisbee
(Finally) Reading: The Hunger Games.  Already on book 2.  Actually it took a lot of effort to come here and tell you about it instead of continuing to read.  I'm hooked.
On the needles: Yosemite (still)
In the oven: An goat cheese apple tart with my favorite gluten-less pie crust.

You need:
1 1/4 cups white rice flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of cold butter
1/2 cup of milk

What to do:
1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Add butter, 1/2 TBS at a time, and then mix with your fingers to form a crumble.
3. Gradually stir in the milk, then form into a nice ball.
4. Put in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 2 days, or freeze for later.
5. Pick up the directions to finish the tart in the link above. 

This crust is adapted from GF Everday, still my favorite gluten less cookbook of all times.

Nice to see you all!  And now... back to the arena... 

almond flour cranberry orange muffins

Muffins and coffee for breakfast ~ sit outside in the sun

 Recipe here; I used orange juice and a little zest instead of chamomile, then fold in cranberries after wet and dry ingredients were combined.  I doubled the recipe so we'd have muffins all week.

 

What are your plans for the weekend?  We'll be making tostadas and margaritas tomorrow!
Have a good one ~