Two recipes I have been asked about

I have been asked, on a number of occasions, for my recipe for both my Gluten-Free Shortbread cookies and the Apple Cheddar Soup (the version I have noted here is also Gluten Free but you don't have to make it that way) I like to make. For no reason I can think of, I have decided to post them here for all to enjoy.
If you happen to try either of these then let me know how they turn out for you.

GLUTEN-FREE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

½ cup GF corn starch
½ cup GF icing sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

Mix dry ingredients together well. Using knives or a fork cut the butter into the dry ingredients and blend until dough is soft and smooth. Put the entire lot into the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes. (This is essential for GF Shortbread cookies.)
Remove and rapidly roll (it is important for the dough to stay cool/cold) into 1 inch balls. DO NOT FLATEN!
You can add chopped cherries or nuts to the top if you would like. We usually don't.
Return unused dough to refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Bake in a 300F oven (150C) for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown.
Cool on cookie sheet for 2-5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

GF COOKIES are VERY fragile.

These taste like old fashioned-gluten filled shortbread cookies. I promise!


CHEDDAR AND APPLE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup unsalted butter
2 small apples – peeled, cored and chopped
1 large leek – whites only, sliced
1 large carrot – chopped
1 stalk of celery – chopped
¼ cup of flour (I use Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix)
2 ½ cups chicken stock
1 ½ cups apple cider or juice
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
pinch of hot pepper flakes
8 oz. (225 gm.) pkg aged cheddar (shredded)
1 cup grated Parmesean cheese
white pepper
chopped parsley/chives

DIRECTIONS:
Using a large, heavy dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add apples, leek, carrot and celery stirring often, and cook until soft.
Sprinkle in the flour to coat the vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in chicken stock, apple juice/cider, curry, cumin and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes – lid off.
Puree
**You can prepare to this point and then freeze to store for use at a later date or keep in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.**
Return soup to low and heat well, though don’t bring it to a boil.
Gradually whisk in the cheese and continue to heat until the cheese melts.
Garnish with white pepper and parsley/chives.

Long time no contact

Good afternoon

As I sit and watch the snowflakes lazily drift to the ground I realize it has been a LONG time since I last wrote an update for my personal blog. I have been busy writing blog entries but they have been for the babyREADY site and I guess that is where all of the time and writing prowess has gone. Sorry for that.

In any case, I am here now, the lasagne is in the oven and my boys are hanging out together and I have some tidbits to share from the past month or so.

Most of January passed in the snow-filled flurry. The boys and I made almost daily trips into Mississauga to the home of my first business partner, Kristin. I say first because Kristin and I have recently asked Tara to join us and with a little luck Kristin will be able to get Tara's information onto the babyREADY site soon for all to see. The three of us have been discussing the possibility of expanding babyREADY into a retail store (selling the 10 Essential Items from the article I wrote and, I think, posted before). Who knows if it will happen? It is fun to think about though.

Valentine's Day dawned beautifully around here. The boys presented Doug and I with a picture frame (one that Fergus and his Chris built last year) containing a sweet picture of our boys in High Park, Toronto. LOVE the picture and the frame. It was SO sweet of them to do that for us.

Before going to friends, Karen and Larry, for dinner on Saturday evening we learned the devastating news that my SIL had been told by her vet that her cat/daughter of the past 17+ years had a fatal respiratory illness. Jen made the excruciating decision to aide in Louie's passing before Louie suffered any more pain from her disease. It was painful beyond any understanding. It is times like this that we are starkly aware of the physical distance in the family. Thank goodness for Blackberries, email, telephones and postal services. At least we have been able to be in contact that way.

This past Sunday Doug and I took his mom and the boys up to Collingwood for a whirlwind visit. The first place Doug and I lived together was a basement apartment in Collingwood a house belonging to our friends Matt and Mandy. This same couple moved away about 10 years ago and while we have emailed and sent holiday cards, we haven't seen them since they left. Well, they are back for a visit with their two boys. They are staying with Deanna, Mandy's sister, and when we saw that the weather forecast was clear we leapt at the opportunity to go up and catch up.

We offered Doug's mom a ride for the day because she doesn't often get a chance to go and see her sister, Louise. It wasn't until we were in the car and on our way that we learned Louise was in hospital as a result of her chemotherapy treatment. We ended up dropping MIL off at the Collingwood G&M to let her visit for a while.

Before we saw Matt and Mandy though, we went to the home of Doug's best man, Geoff and his wife Wendy. We haven't seen them in about a year and a half so there was lots to catch up on over a beer Sunday afternoon. My boys were extra happy because Geoff and Wendy have an ice rink in their back yard so we had skates with us for them to use.

I am off with a homeschooling friend to listen to Alfie Kohn lecture tonight in Oakville. I must remember to pack some cough candies so that I don't still the thunder away from the key-note address.

Take care, stay warm and enjoy the short month!

Imbolc/Brigid 2009

Today is the day that those who follow my faith-path (in the northern hemisphere) celebrate the return of the sun's powers. We cherish the fact that the days are getting longer and, in some areas, we begin to see the first signs of spring. Not so here today but we DID enjoy some time outside without blisteringly cold temperatures and we took part in the most Canadian of activities.



















We played pick-up hockey on a frozen pond. If that doesn't scream "winter in Canada" then I don't know what does. It made me feel very "Le Chandail de Hockey/The Hockey Sweater" a la Roch Carrier. It was a FABULOUS/FANTASTIC/WONDERFUL day!!!








Here are some of the pictures we took to capture the afternoon. We are usually indoors on Monday afternoons but who could resist the pull of the ice, the firepit and the hot chocolate? You can't create days like this. They just happen!