Gluten Free Living...

Many of my friends have been asking about my gluten free diet so instead of sending all this info in E mails I thought I'd just post it here for the world to see... By the way~For the most part I eat proteins, fruits, and veggies BUT every once in a while a girl needs her baked goods!

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I'm the type of person that really likes "GOOD" food. If I take a bite of something and it's not super tasty I don't eat it. Thus said, I lost a lot of weight my first year of going gluten free.
I tried so many different gluten free brands and most tasted like cardboard, the texture was terrible and everything had some sort of "aftertaste." I wanted baked goods and breads that I could make and my family would love and in return have no idea they were gluten free.

Here are the brands I found that I am 100% thrilled with...

For quick cakes, brownies and waffles I LOVE the NAMASTE products- (all of them)
The funny thing about Namaste is they are not only gluten free but also potato, soy, corn, dairy, tree nuts, peanuts and casein free. My daughter is allergic to casein (dairy proteins) so this brand is perfect for both of us! There are no preservatives or MSG's. I don't eat MSG's therefore I "rarely" eat out anymore.

This Namaste chocolate cake is the BEST chocolate cake I have ever had IN MY LIFE-It's better then chocolate cake made with real flour. I make a bunch of cupcakes and freeze them in a big glass cake pan -They are so good !!!I will pull one out of the freezer and not even bother frosting it. They freeze unbelievably well! I bake Nameste brownies and chocolate cupcakes and I can't keep my kids or the neighborhood kids away from them!

~Namaste chocolate cake~

~Namaste Waffles~

Click HERE to go to enter the Namaste Website~

To find a store near you that has Namaste products click HERE.

A few other staples I missed were crackers , pasta & breakfast foods~ Not anymore...Here are my favorites:

I like all the Tinkyada brands of pastas-But most gluten free pasta is decent. My family actually likes it better then regular pasta. Click HERE to enter Tinkyada's website.

The best crackers are:

Glutino (all flavors) -Glutino's website is HERE.

The best gluten free oatmeal is:

Bob's Red Mill gluten free rolled oats-WARNING: Many people that eat gluten free (celiacs) cannot eat oats...Talk to your doctor before adding oatmeal to your diet!!!

Click HERE to find all of Bob's Red Mills WONDERFUL Gluten free products~

I found that I didn't like the gluten free cereals you can buy at local stores in the health food section. They are quite bad...BUT then General Mills made their RICE CHEX cereal GLUTEN FREE!!! Thanks GM!

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When it actually came to baking with gluten free flours I found it to be a BIG hassle. I had to buy every kind of gluten free flour and really didn't like any of them. I tried every kind of rice flours (brown, sweet brown, white etc.etc.) I tried flours made from potato, corn, blah blah blah... I mixed them the way the gluten free sites said to mix them... Yet they all STILL didn't work for me...

UNTIL I FOUND THIS BLESSING!

This Christian lady from Montana and her friend came up with this WONDERFUL gluten free flour mixture that has forever changed my life! It smells like real flour, feels like real flour and the bake goods I make with it taste like they have real flour in them! So much so I tossed our real flour out of our house and only use their gluten free flours!

Here are the two gluten free flours they produce:

~Almond and Coconut~

They also have a cookbook that is a MUST buy! It has every kind of baked good known to man in it for you to try! Can you say YUMMY!?!

Here is a photo of a few baked goods made with "Gluten Free Mama's" flour blends. If you go to her website she will even convert your favorite recipes to gluten free recipes!

To visit Gluten Free Mama's Website click HERE.

Click HERE to find a store near you that sells Mama's flours.

To buy the almond, coconut flour AND the cookbook online click HERE

AND last but not least Rachel "aka" The Gluten Free Mama herself has a blog... Click HERE to visit her, tell her "Robin" sent you~♥~

REMEMBER: You must be very careful because gluten is hidden in many many products on your grocery store shelves... Read the labels and GOGGLE different products so see if they are gluten free...If all else fails get a hold of the company that makes the foods and ask!

With Love,

Robin

~The gluten free girl~

About Me

Hi, my name is Robin Beck, I live near Seattle Washington... I'm into crafting, photography and hiking.

This is my husband Tim, I've been with him for over 22 years, he is my best friend and the love of my life.

Christmas is my favorite holiday~I start thinking about Christmas in July...If not sooner-I can't help myself!

I'm sure I love Christmas the most out of the holiday's because it revolves around Christ.

Jesus is number one in my life-I would not be here if it wasn't for him.

I started this blog to share my crafts with others, in the process I have made many friends~Some have even become part of my family~♥

If you would like to learn EVEN more about me click HERE.

Thanks for stopping by!

Testing... One, Two, Three...

I have no idea what the deal is... I posted a new post and it never showed up on my blog on "MY computer" AND all my other posts went away too..."YIKES!" The funny thing is everyone else could see ALL my posts but me!!! Once I deleted the new post all the other posts showed back up on my computer! HELLO!?! Has this ever happened to anyone else out there?

This is a test, this is only a test...Of the Robin's Nest Broadcast System...

Feeling Blessed...

You have all seen photos of our granddaughter Noelle who by the way has colic and is a full time job for our family (I'm not complaining though just stating the facts) So if you've been wondering why I haven't E-mailed or posted to my blog it's because I'm helping with precious baby duty and loving it!

ANYHOO...

Our oldest daughter Brenda sent pictures of our grandson Carson this last week that I wanted to share-Check out those big brown eyes of his~♥ I can't believe how much he has grown since we last saw him! He sure looks like his mommy!

~Carson 7 months old~

~Landon 7 years old~

Landon is our oldest grandson he is Carson's "helpful" big brother. He looks more like his daddy. I took this photo of him last fall, we had so much fun together that day!

I hope you all had a lovely Valentines Day~♥

Movie Monday...

~VALENTINE WEEK SPECIAL~

October 2007

Running Time: 1 hr 39 mins. MPAA Rating: PG-13

PLOT: Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a widower who dedicates his life to his children, but one day he meets Marie at a bookstore. They get to know each other, but then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother!

GENRE: Romance/Comedy/ Drama

MY THOUGHTS: Either you are going to love it and think its the funniest movie ever or you are going to hate it... I don't think there are any in-betweens with this one???

My family loves this movie. My husband, my 18 year old daughter and I watched it again last night. We were laughing all the way through it. Maybe it's because the main character Dan Burns (Steve Carell) reminds us a little of my brother-Not the way my brother looks but the way he acts. Then again maybe it's because the middle age bratty daughter "Cara" acted JUST like our daughter when she was her age (sad but true) we are glad our daughter made it through "that age" and we can laugh about it now...~ Or maybe it's because it reminds me of my own crazy family when we are all together! I'm not sure but whatever it is I like it! I give it a 9 rating ~

MEMORABLE QUOTES FROM THE MOVIE:

"This corn is like an angel."

"Instead of telling our young people to plan ahead, we should tell them to plan to be surprised. "

"You are a murderer of love!"

"I ordered a muffin...But I think they gave me a small planet."

And my favorite quote from the movie (you'd have to see it to understand) "put it on my tab"

RATINGS: Are on a scale from 1 to 10-One being "not good-don't bother watching" to ten being "it's a super great movie."***I welcome your true feelings on these movies whether you agree with me or don't ~Speak out! This will let people read my comments and decide if they want to actually see the movies for themselves.

THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR COMMENTS!

Red...

~Red-breasted Sapsucker~Click photo to see detail~

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray, I went for a walk on a winters day...

Actually, I took this photo in the greenbelt (that's not so green right now) behind my house. It made me smile to see the bright red touch of color surrounded by all the bland dormant vegetation~

Hope you are all finding your "touch of color" during this gloomy season~!

Hold on...Spring will be here soon~♥

Weekend Valentine Crafts...

Brought to you by the crafty people of Better Homes and Gardens~♥

~Wrapped in Love~

Cover your valentine's favorite chocolate bar for a sweet gift in just minutes. Add ribbon, buttons, stamps, or cutouts to make it even more personal. With all the decorative paper in craft stores the possibilities are endless~

~Heart-Shape Pouches~

Hanging heart pouches can hold any type of treats, from a cluster of posies to a handful of candy.

Here's how to make them:

Trace two same-size heart shapes onto pretty paper or card stock; cut out. Cut more hearts in graduated sizes from contrasting paper, and use spray adhesive (made for sewing) or a simple running stitch to attach to the front of the pouch.

Stack the two main hearts with right sides facing out. Starting at one side near the top, use a sewing machine to zigzag stitch around the edge, leaving top open. Trim edges as needed. Punch holes near top of pouch. Thread ribbons through; knot to secure.

For more wonderful craft ideas click HERE to visit Better Homes & Gardens Online

Have a great weekend Everyone~♥

Twilight Book Series...

Hi Friends...

Hey, I wrote a couple of weeks ago and told you all I would be visiting Forks Washington and taking photos of different places that are in the book "Twilight." I'm sorry to say I put my back out and was laid up in bed the whole week. I am up and around now and hopefully I will be going to Forks in the near future.

But I wanted to take some time and talk about whether these books are appropriate for teens. I read these books not even knowing they were written for teens. So many women "my age" were saying the books were good and I was shocked when my friend told me they were in the Juvenile section of the book store (after I already read them.) She was right, every book store you go to you will find them in the Juvenile section. I personally have no idea why these books would be marketed for teens and not adults.

My suggestion to parents is to read "ALL" the books before you decide whether or not you want your teen to read them. The last two books in the series deal with some pretty heavy "adult " issues.

Here are some reasons I think parents should read the Twilight Series before deciding on whether or not to let their teens read them:

*The books do have suicidal tones~Like Romeo and Juliet~ Edward, Bella and Jacob basically all say, "If I can't be with you I'm going to off myself or put my life in danger." Also the book New Moon deals with some pretty heavy depression issues.

*The fact that Edward spends the night in Bella's room, she lies to her parents, and Bella's struggle with her own human desires can be questionable for many parents. At several points, Bella becomes rather cavalier about giving up her soul. Losing one's soul is nothing to be casual about, and though Bella is confronted by the others about it, it can be disconcerting to those that question the value of the books.

*While Edward is against sex before marriage, Bella is willing to hand over her virginity at one point. Her fear of marriage stems from what many teens today face - the divorce of her parents. Then again I can't let Edward off the hook, he too had a "weak" moment.

After reading the forth and last book in the series (Breaking Dawn) I just shake my head wondering why these books are being pushed towards teens??? These books really should be in the adult section. I read all four books and really enjoyed them but felt a little "immature" after finding out they were written for juveniles~ Hello?

So what are your thoughts about the books and what do you think about "teens" reading the whole Twilight series? AND PLEASE, BE CAREFUL HOW YOU WORD YOUR COMMENTS-I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE LAST TWO BOOKS FOR A COUPLE OF MY "GROWN UP" FRIENDS STILL READING THEM~♥

You've Asked For Her...

~Noelle Grace~

6 Weeks Old

I hold this precious miracle and shake my head every day...Thinking that my daughter Ronnie was asked to abort this baby 4 times! The last time she was asked to abort Noelle was when she was 8 months pregnant~! Look at this precious gift from God that "they" wanted us to throw away because they "knew" she would be damaged goods. Well, they were wrong once again and God was right. (By the way, Even if Noelle wasn't healed she would be just as precious to us/God doesn't make junk people!/All children are a gift from God!~I'm off my soapbox)

Noelle is doing wonderful-She is starting to laugh (especially at Grandpa who has a deep voice) and smile and is stronger then most babies her age. The surgeons gather around her when she shows up at the Children's Hospital and they actually say she is nothing short of a miracle. Her doctors are shocked beyond belief that her bladder is perfect, there is no water on her brain & she is not paralyzed yet has some of the strongest legs they have seen.

Noelle is starting to follow us with her eyes and even turning her head to see-She loves looking at her parents faces (especially her mommy) but who wouldn't they are as cute as her! By the way...Daddy Dmitriy is 6' 5" tall and Mommy Ronnie is 5' 9" tall-Noelle is already off the charts in length~Most her baby pants look like carpis on her!

Ronnie & Dmitriy

Movie Monday...

~THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER~

(1982)

Running Time: 1 hr. 42 min.

MPAA Rating: PG

PLOT: After his father's death, young Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) leaves his home in the Snowy River valley to work for a wealthy landlord, who happens to be the estranged twin brother of Jim's mentor, a grizzled old prospector (both twins are played by Kirk Douglas). While fighting to earn his spurs by breaking a herd of wild horses, Jim falls in love with his employer's spunky daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton). When one of the horses escapes and the blame falls on Jim, the boy must return to the Australian hills where he grew up, in order to find the horse and come back a man.

GENRE: Action/Adventure and Western

MY THOUGHTS: My mom took my best friend Karen and I to see this movie when it first came out in theatres in 1982-I was 17 years old. The movie was very exciting and my mom was really getting caught up in it. There was a scene where a bunch of guys were trying to round up wild horses...The wild horses went over what looked like a cliff and all the guys chasing them stopped chase and looked over the edge frustrated they lost the horses... BUT then young Jim Craig on his horse comes out of nowhere and goes over the cliff after the wild horses!!!
AT THAT MOMENT my mom actually raised one arm in the air, STOOD UP, and yelled a loud "YEAAAAAAAAA!!!!" Karen and I sunk down out of our chairs to the ground in embarrassment. My mom looked at us bewildered to why we were both on the ground? I think that was the only time my mom ever embarrassed me (I've more then made up for it in embarrassing her though) :) "love you mom!"

Truthfully the movie is that good. Also the music in the movie is wonderful...I give it a 9.5 rating ~The WHOLE family will love this movie-If you haven't seen it you must. Netflex, Blockbuster and all major renters have this movie out on DVD or you can buy it at Amazon.

ADDED NOTE: Though I loved this movie I did not like the sequel "Return to Snowy River" make sure you do not get them mixed up when renting.

RATINGS: Are on a scale from 1 to 10-One being "not good-don't bother watching" to ten being "it's a super great movie."

***I welcome your true feelings on these movies whether you agree with me or don't ~Speak out! This will let people read my comments and decide if they want to actually see the movies for themselves.

THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR COMMENTS!