Max's turns 2!

I can't believe it, but Max turned two on December 31st. He got to have cupcakes twice (which Gabe has already put in his demand request for two birthday parties this year) because we were lucky enough to have visiting Grandparents at his actual birthday but put off his kid party to a better weekend, since most folks aren't planning to attend a kid play date on New Year's Eve. As you can see, Max was down with that plan.

We got Max the Thomas the Tank Engine Dieselworks Take N Go Set for his birthday, and I'm not sure which child was the most excited about it. Max is completely obsessed with the newest Thomas movie "Day of the Diesels". It's a fairly new obsession, expressed in constant demands to see the movie and constant refrains of "Daaaaaay Diesels! Thomas! Percy! Daaaaaay Diesels!" pretty much most moments he's not watching the movie. Gabe claims he doesn't like that movie anymore because we watched it too much...yet every time it's on he sneaks in to watch surreptitiously from he sidelines. Max also got some really cool presents from his Grandparents and Cousin Dayna sent him some cool letter blocks that he likes to stack up and knock over with a train.

A week later we had a kiddie playdate party for him. with Elmo cupcakes and a gaggle of awesome kiddos running a muck. For some reason most of the pics I took came out super blurry - I don't know what happened! We made mini pizzas that the kids got to top themselves, and then we had the BEST GF chocolate cupcakes I've had to date. I'm gonna do a separate post on them, because that recipe was a keeper! 

Then all his friends helped Max open presents, mostly one handed since he got a small Diesel 10 train and pretty much hasn't stopped clutching it since Saturday. Gabe and Ben desperately want to play with it, but Max is fully defending his turf, and no one plays with Diesel 10 but Max. He may only be two, but he's got enough pluck for a pack of kiddos. Happy birthday, Max!

Christmas Photos

I know -  a little late, but I'm slowly catching up with everything I wanted to get done in December (including a last few Christmas packages to go out this week, fingers crossed). I threw my neck out of whack a couple weeks ago, and it's really slowing me down. In any case, here's a few peeks at the Christmas hoopla that went down at the Coffman homestead.

Here are the boys on Christmas eve, ready to go out and sprinkle the "reindeer food" Ben made a preschool out into the street. They were thrilled to be allowed out a) at night, and b) to thrown glitter on the street. Turns were taken nicely, and (other than a slightly icy wet patch) in the morning the reindeer food was magically gone!

 On Christmas eve the boys always get new jammies, and this year there was a super hero theme. It's a little blurry since it's hard for superheroes to hold still an pose! Gabe has been coveting the Captain America jammies for almost 4 months now, so to say he was excited about his Christmas eve gift is a bit of an understatement. And since Ben often wants whatever Gabe does at this point (it's all the same or complete opposites with those guys) there was general happiness all around. To infinity....and beyond!

Christmas morning we made gluten free chocolate donuts. Two boys are topless to make sure that they could still wear their jammies when we were opening presents - these were pretty messy. I wasn't super thrilled with them, but I swear you throw some chocolate icing and colored sprinkles on anything and these boys would chow it down. Soon we were opening presents, and it was just as loud, messy, and happy as you could hope for with three little whirlwinds. Max opened his stocking, grabbed the top item (a train) and disappeared to the boys' room to play. Gabe whipped through all his presents and tried to open some of the grownups...and help Max do half of his as well. Ben got a Lightning McQueen Guitar (his version of the Red Ryder Beebe Gun) and all was right with the world. Hope y'all had a wonderful holiday, too!

Better than Goldfish Cheese Crackers

My boys love cheese crackers. When we went gluten free, cheese crackers were one of the biggest sticking points. And not just any crackers...goldfish crackers. How did goldfish become such a childhood staple? Even when Gabe wouldn't eat a bit of other food, he's accept a goldfish or two. I think if you tested the carpet in my van it would be 40% goldfish cracker. There were fine with no more PB&J sandwiches, didn't make a peep about giving up their favorite cookies...but the whining over the goldfish was never ending.

 So I started checking out how to make crackers on the web. Gluten free, tasty cheese crackers. After a few batches of experimentation, we've hit on a combo of recipes that works really well for us, and the boys love them! It's a bit of work, and certainly not as inexpensive as buying goldfish crackers...but now when  give them a handful of crackers as part of their snack, I know what kind of ingredients are in there, and I can feel good about that. Plus a small handful (ten or so) of these fills them up in a way that the never ending self-serve snackie cup of goldfish never did! Now if I could just find a teensy tiny goldfish cracker cutter... 

Better than Goldfish Crackers

4 oz shredded cheese (we use a combo of cheddar and Kerrygold Dubliner - strong is good here)

4 tablespoons cultured butter

3/4 cup cornstarch or potato starch or arrowroot

1/4 tsp salt

2 tablespoons milk or half & half

Optional: salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a backing sheet, or I use a silpat instead.

Combine all ingredients except milk in the food processor and pulse until it is fine crumbs. Pulse in a little milk at a time until you have a smooth dough.

You can roll them out on a lightly greased surface (the dough is sticky) but I've had good luck splitting the dough into two gallon sized bags and rolling it out there. Then I put the bags into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or until I remember I was making crackers). You slit the bag down the sides and there's your nicely shaped square of dough.

I've just been taking a sharp knife and cutting the crackers into squares. I've found the boys like the crackers best at about 1/2" squares. Larger sizes are less crispy but very tasty. After cutting the squares, take a fork and pierce lightly all over the dough, then sprinkle with your favorite sea salt if desired. We use a brand called Real Salt.

Then I transfer the crackers to the silpat in batches and bake off for 9 minutes or so, until the crackers a lightly golden brown and crispy. Watch it closely; they can go from not quite done to burned in a heart beat or at least in the time it takes to break up a tussle over who gets that Buzz Lightyear doll. You want to pull them before they are really browned or you'll get burned crackers anyhow. Transfer to a rack to cool completely and store in an airtight container to retain crispiness.Try not to eat them all the first day, and watch for little poachers on the cooling racks!

Best Pot Roast Ever!

Oh my gosh. I've been cooking pot roast once a week or so for months now. This week we finally hit on the perfect recipe for us. The seasonings are based on Ina Garten's company Pot Roast recipe. I made it in the crock pot, and it was so tender and yummy. The boys scarfed it down with none of the usual whining (not that they don't like roast, it just seems like dinner time is whiny time). Max had a double helping. John, who professes to not like beef, admitted it was tasty. And best of all, Gabe ate his WITHOUT KETCHUP...and no, that wasn't a pig that just flew over my head. This is now my go to method for cooking a pot roast. Yum!




1 (4 to 5-pound) grass fed beef roast
Real sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coconut Oil
4 rough chopped carrots

2 chopped yellow onions

4 stalks rough chopped celery

2 rough chopped parsnips (or turnips or whatever root veg you like)

5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 cup red wine

1 jar tomato sauce (I used Trader Joe's Bolognese)

2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried rosemary


Heat some coconut oil in a cast iron skillet. Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with salt and pepper. Add the roast to the pan and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large crock pot. Toss in veggies, tomato sauce, and dried herbs.

Add chicken stock to the pan and deglaze. Pour into crock pot over roast and veg. Cook on low 8 hours or until falling apart tender. Shred meat and serve with Crock pot juices and stewed veggies. Enjoy!

Corn Chicken Chowder

Yesterday for my Black Friday Holiday Hoopla John was hanging with the boys for the whole day. He even sat for our little friend Nathan so his mom could scrap with me upstairs. He did a great job with the boys for the whole day, even getting them to play a silly bowling game the boys love where they pretend to be bowling pins and get "knocked" down by a soft soccer ball bowling ball. Strike!

For the girls I did a gluten free Chicken Corn Chowder.  I did a couple a funky things to get the chowder to thicken up as much as I like it without adding flour, like adding creamed corn and also the mashed potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving. Thick and mildly spicy -It was so yummy!

Chicken Corn Chowder

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, small diced  
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup half and half 
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-15 ounce cans of white corn and 1-15 ounce can cream corn
• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded 
• handful of grated cheddar, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside. I usually start the bacon in a spoonful of melted coconut oil so it won't stick in the bottom of the pan as it gets going.
2. Place the potatoes and onion pieces into the stock pot and cook over medium heat until the onions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the dairy, chicken stock, and seasonings, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn, mashed potatoes, chicken, and green chiles. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with reserved bacon, and cheddar cheese.