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Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Fall is for BAKING and an Update on Robin

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As promised, I have another baking treat to share.  I come from a long line of great cooks!  Both my grandmothers and my mother could really throw down a meal.  My sister and I used to run around my grandmother’s house between the meal and the dessert, just so we could make room for whatever had been baked for the day.  I am surprised we didn’t get sick from doing that, but can’t remember that we did.  All I can remember is how good everything tasted and how much love was put into preparing it.

So, this is what I made yesterday (and a second one today!).  This is my mother’s Buttermilk Pound Cake.  When we were growing up, my sister and I would grab a slice of this as soon as it came out of the oven and spread homemade blackberry jam over the top.  You see, whenever there was freshly made blackberry jam, it was time to make this cake.  It is a wonder I don’t weigh 300 pounds!






UPDATE ON ROBIN:

We are waiting for the insurance company and Robin’s doctor to come to an agreement about the medical necessity of the IVIG therapy.  Yep, the insurance company is questioning our doctor about what he believes will help Robin.  Exasperating! 

As we wait, we will keep trusting that God will open doors as He has on so many occasions throughout this journey. 

Robin is also taking some herbal therapies to fight Bartonella.  These therapies are in liquid form and she starts with one drop, twice a day and gradually works up to 25 drops, twice a day.  There are several different ones and you start with one and then add the next and she is on a different number of drops for each and it can be a nightmare to keep up with.  Especially since if she has an adverse reaction and needs to go down a drop on one of them.  Are you confused yet? 

But, Robin and Ken keep it straight.  I am so proud of them and so thankful for their determination to stay in the fight!  I probably would have given up by this point.




And Then...
(finally back from a long commercial break)

Robin spent the summer of 2008 at home.  David and I wanted her to concentrate on her health, first and foremost.  She was able to earn a little money by babysitting and helping a friend clean houses.  She helped me by making dinner most nights and helping with the cleaning. 


There was only one trip to the doctor over the summer.  Robin was experiencing stomach pain.  The doctor’s diagnosis was constipation.  This was the first indication of a problem in the GI tract. As our story unfolds you will see that this was just the beginning of a long struggle with digestive health for Robin.

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Return of the Missing Homemaker

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It has been far too long since I posted to my blog.  Life gets busy and the time flies by!  But seriously…..over two months without an update?  I will do better, I promise.

So, as I ease back into blogging, I want to share some things that have been keeping me busy for the last two and a half months. 

As my blog title indicates, I love to stamp and sew.  But, I also love to bake.  Already out of the oven this morning are these beauties – Gluten-Free Banana Bread.




This is one of my old favorites that I converted to gluten-free, dairy-free for Robin.  She and I both agree that the conversion does not take away from the overall goodness!

This is what I used for the gluten-free version of my recipe:

Banana Bread
½ cup Earth Balance Vegan buttery sticks (one stick)
1/1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup potato starch
½ cup tapioca flour
½ cup white rice flour
1 t vanilla
1 t baking soda
4 T Tofutti Sour Cream
1 cup banana pulp
¼ t salt

Cream butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Dissolve soda in sour cream.  Add to mixture.  Add banana pulp, salt and vanilla and blend well.  Add flours and blend again. 

Grease and flour three mini loaf pans.  Divide mixture among the pans.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes.


My stamping adventures lately have been focused on Christmas.  Here is a sample of the new Christmas cards that will be posted in The Rounded Corner Etsy shop in the near future.  We are currently taking custom orders for Christmas cards, so visit our store to place your order!





Last, but not least, I have been attempting to finish some of my quilting projects that have been laying around in various stages of completion.  Earlier this month, my friend Laura, invited me to come and play with her long-arm quilting machine.  Wow!!!  My husband has heard more than he cares to hear about how awesome her set-up is.  I have nothing to complain about.  I basically have our entire den dedicated to my sewing area, but quilting a large piece on my machine is tiring to say the least.  With Laura’s machine, I was able to complete this beauty from start to finish all by myself!





Tomorrow, I will share with you what is in my oven now!  Did I mention that I love to BAKE?