glorious saturdays.

[gluten, dairy and sugar free blueberry muffins and brownies]

~

i love saturdays.

they are full of sunshine, bike rides, baking, flowers, and my sweet husband.

this weekend we attempted to cut a van that we just bought in half and put it on top of our bus.

although the cutting the van in half did happen, placing it on top of our school bus did not.

we will have to wait until we can proceed with that task.

gluten and dairy free chocolate brownies.

this flour bag is from Robert's hometown Mcpherson, KS!

a couple better pictures of my paper globe that I made.

[all the pictures from this post are compliments of our dear photographer friend]

[mary nell powell]

his first cupcake.

i have to post these few adorable pictures that were from sweet Julian's 1st birthday.

here he is eating his first cupcake.

i am honored to say that it was my almost-perfected vegan chocolate cupcake!

isn't he so stinkin cute!

breakfast dates.

some of my favorite mornings start off with a few key things:

mcpherson, ks coffee coffee

organic mexico coffee, and some french presses.

planning a coffee date for my lovely ladies:

Julia Kevon, Sarah Rhodes and Marynell Powell!

Agave and Raw honey!

[complete with cute anthropologie/thrift store mugs]

almond meal [gluten and sugar free] pancakes and homemade jam!

[all made by my hubby]

~

also, i went through a decorating "funk"

and instead of being really bright, i copied an idea from my mothers house!

she has a single branch hanging over the piano, and I needed to jazz up my kitchen, so i hung a branch from a nearby tree in my house! haha bringing life inside my winter house.

[hoping it will still bloom flowers in spring....a girl can dream....]

also this week was a very big week for us!

we bought this sweet beat up van for cheap! we are cutting it down the middle and putting it on top of our school bus, to loft it and make it our bedroom!

the whole "raising of the roof" is happening today.

pictures will be posted shortly!

coffee dates with my husband :)

i spent my friday crafting new valentines decorations!

i've been meaning to "re-teach" myself how to make a paper-globe, and i did it!

it's so pretty.

i also cut out a ton of cute hearts from valentines paper and hung them all over the house!

[even added some love to my tree!]

chocolate coma.

i went into a coma last morning.

the first bite of sugar in almost a month.

the one bite about gave me a stomach ache, the kind that are no fun.

it was so worth it!

i decided to continue with my quest to achieve a fabulous vegan cupcake-

that is simply delicious.

and i think i've mastered it!

so delicious!

they are not the most professional looking- but really i am focusing on what's on the inside!

no eggs, or dairy! oh man!

i have a party of 2 people who will be my taste testers in this activity, and the rest will be given to a sweet 1 year old baby boy who's birthday is today!

[cannot have any dairy]

i am so excited!

happy birthday Julian Harms!

such a doll!

[wish i could say i took this picture- but i did not]

inspired

i have recently been so inspired by the little things in my life.

falling asleep next to a hunk of a man every day.

the cold wet nose that wakes me up as soon as the sun rises, advocating me to take him out on a walk.

walking into my apple-pie ordered kitchen every day.

the bouquet of flowers on my table, that i refuse to get rid of.

they are just too delightful.

and the seemingly long hour of silence i have with my husband in the morning. no phones or distractions, just my tea and toast.

and the never-ending cranks that are turning in my head about my new adventure!

I am in the process of writing a cookbook!

encouraging people that it's not very hard to cook and eat healthy.

often people find it intimidating. I'm here to tell you it's not.

(..the rest to follow in my book)

so im collecting ideas, waking up in the middle of the night with cascades of flavors flowing through my brain.

i have been keeping my book by my bed to scribble down whatever odd ideas i am awaken with.

in my spare time i've been making some cake stands for my displays

they are turning out so great!

also, i am perfecting my gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free carrot cupcakes and frosting today! hopefully pictures to follow!

more bites tomorrow!

expansion.

so the varieties of endless gluten-free,sugar-free, and dairy-free foods have just flooded my brain.

(and my kitchen)

i don't know how to stop cooking all these marvelous things!

(especially because they are all so healthy and delicious!)

so first this week we made:

gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free chocolate cupcakes with a vegan, sugar-free icing!

[i am loving my fabulous mixer!]

then a few nights later i had a massive craving for pizza!

but no wheat + no cheese = no pizza?

nope!

gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free pizza crust!

on my wonderful pizza stone!

then add some tomato basil garlic sauce

then sprinkle with some homemade vegan cheese and goat's cheese!

[this picture doesn't do it justice!]

wahlaa!

fresh salad with honey crisp apples, goats cheese and almonds and a yummy home made lemon dressing!

all this makes for a very happy husband!

let's be free.

gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free banana bread

(what fun is that? what is left to put into it?)

exactly why I am writing a cookbook- to reassure people that you can actually enjoy healthy eating, and that reducing things that your body cannot digest, or doesn't agree with can still be wonderful. There are so many fabulous combinations and innovations that can provide a healthy lifestyle that is simple, affordable and enjoyable.

~

I've become so busy with life, i've neglected my blog.

I am in the process of writing my much awaited cookbook. So excited, but it's taking up all of my time.

I am writing down every little idea and food pairing that I find and I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about flavors and spices and new ideas. Oh it's like the sugar-free plum fairy has come to my dreams.

So after gushing about how fabulous my Christmas was, and all the fattening foods we ate, Robert and I decided to cut out all wheat, most sugars and all dairy.

Robert is Blood Type: O

and I am Blood Type: A

thus, Robert should not eat any wheat, or dairy or much sugar

and I should not eat much meat, any dairy or much sugar.

We have had so much fun inventing new healthy gluten-free pancakes, sugar-free cupcakes with vegan frosting. Oh man it's been a hayday- there are so many gluten free foods at regular grocery stores, and it's not very expensive to buy novelty foods at whole foods/trader joe's. We are really loving how wonderful we feel.

So this new "health-phase" and hopefully long-term habit, along with my prior passions to cook have inspired me to write my own cookbook. Not sure if it will be just a cookbook or a crafty book as well. All in the works, I would like to get around 300 recipes to put into it. And bake them all. or 365, one for every day of the year. I am at about 100, so 1/3 of the way there. Oh Lord grant me grace to cook every day!

~

robert and I inventing our (now kind of famous) banana bread (shown above!)

Jenny Awesome Deloach! We are happy she is back in Costa Rica, but sad to have to wait until May to see her again!

~

my mother the day after christmas! we went to do a few returns, and everything was so cheap.

including this hat:

that looked so great on her!

in the end, she did not get it. :(

~

enjoying our new Scrabble game with our lovely New Zealand friends!

(we won!) but no hard feelings right?

~

sometimes Robert & I get the wonderful pleasure of watching one of our favorite babies, Thaddeus! He never wines and he is just so content. We absolutely love and fight over him when he spends the day with us!

Today we took him to the craft store and home depot (to keep things balanced!) and we had a blast with him.

watching Robert with Thaddeus encourages me, and reminds me of how great he is, and how great of a father he will be.

he will probably get mad at me, once he gets old enough....