Occasional Recipes…..

 

I love sweets more than anything…but I have to be careful about what I eat.  I am fructose and lactose intolerant. Gluten has fructans in it so it’s a no no, too… Once in awhile I find a gluten free recipe that seems like it’s to die for…so figured I’d share now and then…

Gluten Free Turtle Brownies

Gluten free brownie mix marries with the classic turtle trio of chocolate, caramel and nuts for a decadent treat.

One fan says "you would never know that these are GF or from a box!" http://bit.ly/16pXxCG

 Prep Time20 min

• Total Time2 hr 0 min
• Servings16

Ingredients

1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free brownie mix

Butter and eggs called for on brownie mix box

25 caramels, unwrapped

2 tablespoons whipping cream

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom of (8- or 9-inch) square pan. In medium bowl, stir together brownie mix, butter and eggs until blended. Spread 2/3 of batter in pan. Bake 10 minutes.
• 2 Meanwhile, in medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and whipping cream uncovered on High 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Drizzle caramel evenly over partially baked brownie. Sprinkle with half the chocolate chips and half the pecans. Drop remaining brownie batter by small spoonfuls onto caramel layer. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips and pecans.
• 3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until top of brownie looks dry. Cool completely before cutting. Cut into squares, 4 rows by 4 rows.

To easily cut and remove bars from pan, cool at room temperature 1 hour. Then refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut and store at room temperature

Seems like yummy recipes are posted on Facebook constantly…..

This is NOT gluten free..... but sounds heavenly.
Or does it just seem that way because I am not supposed to eat them? I really would love to make these!!!!

Recipe summitted by Rhonda Hasted
Best darn Brownies:
Lunchroom Ladies 50 year old recipe.
1 c butter ...
1/2 c cocoa
2 c flour
2 c sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped nuts
Pour in 9x13 pan, bake 20-25 mins on 350.
Check at 20 mins
**Icing*
1/4 c softened butter
¼ c can milk (regular milk is fine)
1/4 c cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
dash salt
Mix all together & frost as desired.

And the good news is………….

 

At least there was good news and the biopsies taken were all negative.  That was a relief. I also have noticed I am feeling stronger just lately. So I am feeling like I may get back on my feet and back to normal soon, It will be a year in November since this misery all started…..So I am ecstatic that finally, I am having some improvement!

The bad news is that on Monday I climbed out of bed and my back went out on me. We spent the day on Sunday walking, so maybe I jarred my back…I don’t know. I have had herniated discs before and I am not in quite as much pain as I was in when that happened, so I think this will heal much quicker.

The biggest problem with this is that fall and winter is upon us . I hardly got outside all summer, since I felt so lousy. So now, I am starting to feel better just in time for the cold weather!    ugh!

I can’t believe it’s been a year!

I loved to blog but I seem to always find things to distract me for months on end, apparently.
This time it wasn’t much fun. I have been very ill off and on since last January. Something attacked my system and I have never felt 100% since.  It has changed me and now I never have the energy to do much of anything. I am always nauseous and have become intolerant to just about anything a person can eat. I am lactose, fructose and gluten intolerant. I have a vit B12 deficiency and now the Drs think that I have a condition called Eosinophilic Esophagitis .I have spent the last few months choking on almost everything I eat. On top of that I had asthma all summer worse than I have ever had it. I have seen numerous Doctors and have had numerous tests!
The Drs are still studying me but, so far there has been no fix for the way I feel. I am waiting for biopsies to come back right now and I am on edge about that.  I realize a person doesn’t know what they had before they lose it. I have had Fibromyalgia (or so the Dr says) for over 20 years.I have been somewhat limited as far as activity and having enough energy. But I am so much worse now. I am just wishing this year would go away and I could start all over.
We were planning on a cruise in April but had to postpone it. I would never have dreamt that I would still be ill this long and not been able to take a trip this year.
My other half has worked so hard and needs a vacation badly. I told him that he may have to go by himself .
Well, I really posted a downer here…didn’t I ?  SO sorry…I am praying that I am going to see some healing and have a better upcoming year and would welcome your prayers as well!!
Thank goodness for Facebook and Farmville2…it helps keep my mind busy if nothing else!

Back to normal this week after a short trip to NOLA

I am painting again this week..I always enjoy it but it takes so much longer than I want it to. I am painting another southwest pot as a gift for some one.
We went to New Orleans for a long week end ( last weekend.)We went for the Zydeco/Cajun festival. I think it's the shortest vacation we have ever taken and probably the most fun! I don't think you can go hear that kind of music anywhere but in NOLA. It's amazing that it is so popular. I have loved it since I first saw the movie "The Big Easy", many many years ago. This is the 2nd festival that we have gone to in New Orleans. I can't wait for our next one! The only downfall was (no pun intended)  that the whole time we were there it rained! One of the days it poured most of the day. We had an umbrella and we bought one of those funny plastic pull over rain coats for 3 bucks. Everyone looked like they weighed 200 pounds in those plastic coverings, but at least they kept us dry!    We didn't mind the rain at all, though...the temperature was in the 80s. We really had a great time.

A visit every 6 months is not enough!

Well it's not my fault that I am here...My niece asked me some questions about blogging and the next thing I know..I am on my blog -- writing.

 I have been spending a lot of time doing something I really enjoy.  Painting fun projects. Both projects are clay pots....but I did something different with each pot..
One was pretty work intensive and the other was just fun.  The first one is a candle pot made up of clay pots and saucers. It's painted with a southwestern fiesta flair.  It took quite a long time for me to get this one done.

the 2nd one I did a bronze faux finish and then decided to add a few fun southwestern objects and then....well I just had fun.

I just have to plant the flowers into the new pot and I am done with this project!!

So now I am looking for a new project to do.