garage sale

It's been some time since I have posted anything and I apologize for that but I have been getting ready for a garage sale. It was a cold and windy two days but I did okay. Not as good as I would have hoped but I'll take what I can get. I am however, really excited to be going home where I can get warm and stay warm for a long period of time!!!

Tonight is also beggar's night in our area but I won't be passing out candy or watching the cute little kiddies but I will instead be curled up in some sweatpants and blankets watching a movie with Mark and eating my own stash of candy...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ya'll!!


Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

Meijer + books = awesome weekend for me!

Once again, Meijer has proven their awesomeness. Yesterday, Meijer had a gluten free day where you could sample many gluten free items, pick up some coupons for gluten free food (and the coupons are actually for things that I buy so that makes me a happy girl) and I also picked up a booklet that gives me ALL gluten free Meijer brand foods!

The library also gets a big shout-out for being awesome! Mark, my sister and I are all going to the Dayton Metro Library's Fall Book Sale today which means $1 for all the books that I can carry...which doesn't necessarily mean all that I can carry in my arms. People bring wagons, dollies, boxes, crates, anything that moves on wheels to this event because it's literally a buck for all that you can carry out (or wheel out). This is my second time going and my book collecting gene that was passed down to me loves it! It's fun and I can get all sorts of books that the library once owned or patrons donated for next to nothing. It's kind of like hitting the book jackpot! Last year I think Mark and I came away with 50-75 books (we didn't keep them all but after sorting, we were able to donate what we didn't want). I'll let you know if I score some really good stuff (and of course how many books I get for one George Washington). Happy Sunday!

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

Sheila's Pancakes

One of my most favorite things to eat is pancakes (hence my blog name) and I was DEVASTATED when I could no longer eat pancakes due to my gluten allergy but not long after that, a dear friend of mine, Sheila, was so kind to send me a recipe for Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (which I now refer to as Sheila's Pancakes) that she found in a magazine and I can't stop making them...and eating them. Since they are so light and airy and delicious and small, I can eat a million of them and I wouldn't want it any other way.

Most gluten free recipes call for some crazy things but this one has basic staples from your kitchen and tapioca flour (which is $2.99 for a box in most supermarkets near the flours). Sure you can buy a GF pancake mix but that sets you back about $5-6 bucks which I personally don't think is thrifty at all, but whatever you choose, I'm happy to hear that you like eating pancakes too. Since I love this recipe so much and I love how easy it is, I would love to share it with you. Even if you don't have celiac's disease or an allergy to gluten, I think it's worth a shot to try. After all, my boyfriend loves them more than regular pancakes (he says they aren't as heavy as the regular ones) and that says a lot.

Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (Sheila's Pancakes)

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil in a medium bowl until smooth. Sift together tapioca flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a small bowl; stir into buttermilk mixture just until ingredients are moistened (mixture will be slightly lumpy).

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup batter per pancake into skillet and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with maple syrup and banana's or confectioners' sugar; or spread with strawberry cream cheese and roll up. Serves 4.

I've actually tried them rolled up with homemade raspberry cream cheese, syrup and bananas, and even strawberry's and whipped cream. They are simply delicious so thanks Sheila! You are thought of everyday but even more so when I make these pancakes! Happy Pancake Eating!

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

Cash Crate

About 2 years ago, I stumbled upon a website that lets me earn money for doing surveys, shopping online, and completing offers. I thought it was absurd that someone was going to give me money for doing so little so I ran with it and about a month and a half later, I received a check in the mail. I only did it once, and now I am doing it again. If I'm gonna be on the computer, then I should be making some money right? It's definitely not for everyone but for me I can keep up with it cause I have plenty of time on my hands to do this. It's great for extra gas money, or if you are saving up for something big and your non-existent salary isn't cutting it then try it out. So far, I have only accumulated $5.35 but I have only done this for 2 days with a total time of less than an hour and I have about $5 bucks pending. I will then get a check when I reach a minimum of $20.00. Not too bad for not spending a whole lot of time on it. If you want to start or see what it is all about, click on this link and it will take you to Cash Crate, the company that actually does pay you. They have all the questions you might be asking yourself on the website so if you have a little bit of extra time and need a little bit of extra money, go for it. What do you have to loose anyway? And don't forget, when you sign up for this, use a junk email address. If you don't have one, I would like to think that everyone in this day and age knows how to get one, but if not, Gmail is a good one to get. Happy Money Making!

Peace, hugs & smiles,
J

cooking up some new stuff!

If you know me, one of my most favorite things in the world to do is too cook (and of course eat - because believe you me, I'm a great eater!). My palate loves when I try new things but don't worry, I still love me some comfort food! Mark is my guinea pig bless his heart, because whether or not something tastes good, Mark will still eat it - now that's what I call love :)

I have a wide variety of cookbooks and I even have a binder (that I just finished organizing) full of recipes that I have clipped and collected over time and placed in their appropriate categories. Since grocery shopping is more thrifty for us than going out to eat, I have been cooking a lot and trying new recipes, tweaking recipes, or creating my own. Having an allergy to gluten (wheat, barley, and rye) it's sometimes really hard to find good food to eat, but it doesn't stop me from trying new recipes. I tweak the ones that I want to try or if it's something that I can't really tweak, Mark gets to try it on his own (he loves when he doesn't have to share dishes - especially if it's the good stuff). I never not make something for him just because I can't eat it - the man loves his food!!
Side note: A lot of recipes actually aren't labeled gluten free but they are indeed actually gluten free based on the ingredients needed that don't have gluten in it.

On Sunday, I sat down with my binder of recipes and made a menu for this week. Here is what Mark and I will be eating (or have already eaten):

Sunday - Pan-Seared Tuna Fillets w. Homemade Maple Ginger sauce (I can't give you the recipe because I made it up and I don't measure)
Monday - Mozzarella, Mushroom and Pepperoni Meatloaf w. Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Tuesday - Garlic Herbed Salmon with Cheesy Arepas and Baguettes w. Gorgonzola Cheese and Honey (Mark will have to eat these all by his lonesome)
Wednesday - Gluten Free Chicken and Veggie Stuffed Crust (with Fresh Mozzarella) pizza
Thursday - Gluten Free Pretzel Chicken w. Honey Mustard sauce and Spicy Steak Fries (homemade, of course)
Friday - Skyline Chili Spaghetti w. Gluten Free Spaghetti and Garlic Bread (homemade)
Saturday - Dinner with my dad at an undecided restaurant
Sunday - Tilapia with Fresh Herb Butter and rice

If you want a recipe for any of the above recipes, let me know and I will be happy to send it to you!

As far as desserts go this week, I am making Caramel Apples and Giant Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (NOT courtesy of Betty Crocker). I have a really easy recipe that doesn't call for all kinds of crazy ingredients that most GF recipes call for.

This week, I challenge (and encourage) everyone to try something new this week and let me know what you have tried! Happy Cooking!

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

distant

I've been feeling so distant from
everything and everyone. And I don't
know how to get that back.

day diez!

So here it is ladies and gentleman! I made it to day 10 of the blogging challenge and all I have left to say is...

I confess that I sometimes drink drinks right out of the carton / container of the fridge (who wants to dirty another cup anyway).

You can too, get in on this action. Here is the 10 day schedule!

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself that most people don’t know.
Day Three: Eight things you couldn’t live without.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you could change or you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot to you.
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two words that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day ocho & nueve

Since I missed yesterdays three turn ons (the internet was being crazy) here they are plain and simple:

1. Sense of humor!! Nothing makes me happier than making me laugh! I laugh a lot and I have a loud laugh but it makes life (and MY life) so much better when I laugh!
2. Acceptance. I have flaws, everyone has flaws but if you can accept me for me, I'll keep you around for a long time!
3. Good listener. I think this is self explanatory.

We only have one more day left in the blogging challenge! I can't believe that I blogged for 9 days straight (okay minus the day I missed yesterday). If you know me, that's a big feat for me. So, to celebrate, I give you two words that describe my life right now:

• stressful
• loved

I promise I won't miss another day when it comes to doing another blogging challenge so to keep that promise, you can look forward to reading about one confession!

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day siete

Wow! Only four turn-offs huh! I could think of a million (but I'm not shallow or high maintenance). I just think people in general don't have any manners. This doesn't mean I am the most perfect person but here are four things that turn me off when having to deal with the general population.

1. Unnecessary yelling/cursing/beating your child in front of everyone about NOTHING! I have seen this a multitude of times in every environment and I just wish I had enough guts to say something to their parents. All the times that I have witnessed this, all the child(ren) wanted to do was tell their parents something but they just get yelled at. The worst I have seen - "You little f*****g boys need to shut the f**k up. No one was talking to you so stop playing these games you little motherf****rs. I will beat the s**t out of you when we get home if this f*****g s**t continues." I wanted to scoop those kids up so fast and take them home with me. If you plan on talking to any kind of child this way, then maybe you should think twice about procreating.
2. Giving me your advice / input when I'm not directly talking to you. I have had strangers in a grocery store, department store, etc. listen in on the conversations that I am having with a friend or with Mark and they will just turn around and put their two sense in. I'm not trying to be mean, but I don't know you and you don't know me so don't get in my business cause I'm not all up in yours.
3. People who smoke in public areas. I have no problem with smokers. They aren't bad people, they just have made a bad decision and I, having chronic asthma, do NOT want to smell or inhale your cigarette. The worst smoking in public thing that I hate more than anything: People smoking in front of their kids/babies! Nothing makes me more angry than seeing that.
4. People who simply don't use manners. You know, the easy ones that you would think people would use on a daily basis: saying thank you when I hold the door for you, saying thank you when I let you through rush hour traffic, or what about holding the door for me when you clearly see that I am coming with a lot of things in my hand, or saying excuse me when you are coming down the aisle at the grocery store and I don't see you and you start charging at me with your cart thinking I'm just going to move. In the last scenario, I just want to let you know that in most cases, I don't move which makes the other person actually have to say excuse me. In some cases, I do move and say really loud "EXCUSE YOU!" or "YOU'RE WELCOME" when I do something nice for someone and they don't say thank you. I learned my manners as a young child and I know from experience that it literally takes .2 seconds to say "thank you" or "excuse me". This world would be a happier place if they thought about others and used their manners.

Whoa, that was long and I'm sorry for all the tangents that I went on but I get going when I am passionate about something. So just you wait until you hear my three turn ons! Until tomorrow...

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

PS. It's not too late to start the 10 day blogging challenge. Once again, here is the schedule:

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself that most people don’t know.
Day Three: Eight things you couldn’t live without.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you could change or you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot to you.
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two words that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession

day seis

Coming up with five people who mean a lot to me is rather easy. The hard part is picking out the five that gets to have a shout out! Since I only surround myself with great people (lol), here are 4 people and 1 place that means an extra amount to me...

My boyfriend, Mark. We have known each other most of all of our lives. We have grown up together, attended church camp together, and actually didn't start dating until 3 years ago. He is my best friend and I would do anything for him and he would have my back 150%. I can't wait until the day that we make it official because we love each other forever, for always and no matter what.

Lee Lee. Triple L. Lee Lee Lee. Whatever you want to call her she has been such an inspiration, an influence and a rock throughout my life. I've known her for about 12 or so years give or take and we have so much in common and act so much a like that I could really be her twin, or she could be my mother. I love to laugh with her, cry with her, snuggle with her, walk with her and everything else in between. She has really been there for me in the last year or two as I have gone through some pretty rocky times. I can't thank her enough for all that she has given me, taught me and will continue to teach me.

My niece, Kayla and my nephew, Austin. I love being an auntie (as Kayla calls me) and an auntine (as Austin calls me). Kayla is my absolute world. We have a bond that is so strong and I love spending all the time I can with her plus, she is funny and she says the darnedest things. Austin is just so independent and has no fears about facing the world. He has a lot of love for other people (especially his sister). I adore the little one and eight year old that I have in my life! I can't wait to have kids of my own because I know they will be so loved by these two.

My boyfriends grandma. They haven't always gotten a long but things between them have been better than ever now. Yes, she likes to eat all the goodies at women's retreat and yes, she likes to call Mark all the time (I think one day she called him 7 times) but she means well. She has loved him unconditionally and sometimes she has made some bad judgments and mistakes when it comes to Mark but she is making up for it and I am so happy that one day we will all be family.

And last but not least is a place that I have mentioned before but I would love if everyone knew about this place - Camp Bountiful. I have grown up at this camp from birth to now (and I just turned 27) and it has really given me a place to always feel accepted, loved, cared for, inner peace, and fellowship. I have some awesome relationships that have come out of being at this camp. It's in Southern Ohio tucked in the hills and I wouldn't want it any other way. I never knew that one place could be so full of love, solitude and absolute greatness until I look back on all that it has given me. It will always remain a part of me wherever I go and whatever I do.

Until tomorrow when you find out my four turn offs...

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day cinco

There are plenty of things I wish I could change or wish I would have never done but changing things that I have done would not make me the person that I am today. I love the person I am and I can't dwell on the past but I can sure HOPE for some of these things to change (for the better of course). You can say I'm a dreamer so I present you with six things I wish I could change or I wish I would have never done...

1. I wish I would have never quit my job if I thought it would take this long to get another one (but I don't regret WHY I quit my job.
2. I wish I would never have listened to my grandma to wear my reading glasses all the time because it caused me to have to wear glasses / contacts for the rest of my life.
3. I wish I could change allergies to not ever having them. I am allergic to EVERYTHING! And I mean everything: all animals with some kind of hair / fur, mold, pollen, gluten, regular milk (but I can eat all the ice cream I want), etc., etc. I really want a dog. An English Bulldog to be exact.
4. I wish I could change the amount in my bank account. Hitting the lottery would be fabulous! That would solve all of my problems. They say the more money you have the more problems you have but I would have to disagree.
5. In addition to the allergies, I wish I could change the fact that I have asthma. I want to know what it's like to breathe freely. Maybe in my next life :)
6. Last but not least, I would like to change my last name...and soon. I've not been pressing the thought/idea of marriage to my boyfriend because we have talked about it and I know that it will happen but the wedding date that I want is less than a year. Good thing I have started some planning haha.

I bet you can't wait until tomorrow so that you can meet five people that mean a lot to me!

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J

day cuatro

Today has been a crazy hectic day for me (read:stressful) and I do have a lot of things on my mind which this post is more than likely going to reflect today as opposed to my everyday life so I'm really sorry about that but anyhow, here are seven things that cross my mind a lot...

1. I think this is every one's number one: the money in the bank account (or the money that's not)
2. Will I ever get a job? When will someone offer me a job or call me for an interview?
3. What am I going to eat? (it sounds silly but I have a gluten allergy so I can't always pick up and eat anything)
4. Where are the dogs? (I'm house sitting / dog sitting and I worry about them all the time even though I know they won't go anywhere due to the invisible fence put around the acre of land)
5. Am I going to have a good breathing day? (Being around dogs for almost a week and overusing my breathing machine is really taking a toll on my lungs)
6. What else in our apartment don't I need so I can sell it in our garage sale?
7. What books / movies are due back at the library? (so far we have avoided any late fees - which is really surprising for us)

I wish I could say that tomorrow's post will be a little more positive but I can't promise anything as you will be reading about six things I wish I could change or that I wish I would have never done

Peace, hugs & smiles,

J