The Fern Grove

I recently signed up to receive new posts on the Foodie-file (one of the Canadian Living site blogs) via e-mail and was thrilled when I saw the subject of the latest post was so applicable to me and my baking situation. The post titled “Gluten in Flour: Everything you need to know” literally had everything you need to know about gluten in flour both (jointly and independently) as a person with celiacs disease and as a baker. Even though most celiacs will already know this information - it is the most informative and easy to understand summary of gluten in flour and a great resource to help those bakers newly diagnosed with celiacs figure out a new baking regime and like mentioned in one of the post’s comments - a great article to give to relatives and friends who are wanting to attempt gluten free baking or to help them better understand gluten rather than having to explain yourself (a simple e-mail will save your breath at a dinner party with curious friends). I highly recommend Celiacs and Bakers alike read this article:

http://canadianliving.com/blogs/foodie/2008/11/18/gluten-in-flour-everything-you-need-to-know/

While you are there sign up to receive Foodie-file posts in you inbox and you’ll have a chance to win a cookbook! That was my original motivation - lol!

We are very excited to announce the arrival of our new baby boy - David. He’s a healthy 8lbs 4.5oz. He’s the perfect baby and Dad and I are so thrilled to be new parents.

Check out how cute he is!!!!

You’ll have to forgive me if there aren’t too many new posts up for the next little bit. Sleep deprivation and learning to care for my little guy might make it hard to get to the site but I will do my best!

Enjoy the local trails and your favourite walking and hiking routes in a new way with the change of the seasons. The fall is personally my favourite time to hike. While out enjoying the vibrant new leaf colours you will inevitably end up with a handful of perfect fall leaves in all different shapes and colours. Here’s a great way to preserve those fall leaves to put on display or use later in another great fall craft.

When you get home from your walk lay out everyone’s favourite fall leaves on a sheet (or two) of wax paper. Leave lots of space between each leaf even if it means using several separate sheets. Place an equal sized sheet of wax paper down on top of the leaves. If the leaves are curling slightly set some heavy books on top of them over night (or until you get time for the next step) to flatten them out. Now carefully transfer the sheets of wax paper and leaves to the ironing board. Place a sheet or pillow case over the wax paper and leaves, preferably a white or light coloured sheet so that you can see the leaves through the fabric. Gently iron on a medium or low setting (no steam) being sure to cover the whole sheet in slow circular motions. Then go back and outline the leaves several times with the iron to seal them into the wax paper. The wax paper should melt together slightly to seal the leaves between the two layer.

This part the kids can do. Cut around the leaves leaving at least 1cm around the perimeter of each leaf. You can also cut the leaves out in different shapes. For example you can cut out a large square or rectangle around each leaf, or a circle depending on how much room you have around each leaf and the cutting skills/age of the children doing the cutting.

These leaves can be saved as keepsakes of the fall, put up on the fridge, window or wall for fall decoration, saved to use in fall leaf crafts, pasted in scrap books or on cards and wrapping paper for decoration. When you go to use them they should peal out nicely from inside there waxpaper layers.

Monster Cookie Dough!

I found this recipe online on SparkRecipe. Here is the original link http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=348298. I’ve also pasted the recipe below and added the modifications I made to the recipe which worked out great! I was looking for something that was similar to the monster cookies my mom used to make us pre gluten free diet and this fit the bill perfectly. Instead of just m&m’s I added some unsalted peanuts, some butterscotch chips and some peanut butter m&ms (this may not work for the gluten free version but other gluten free ingredients and candies could be substituted like nuts and raisins) .

Monster Cookies!

3 large eggs
8 TBS whipped butter
1.25 C Brown Sugar
1 C Sugar
.5 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Vanilla
12 oz. smooth peanut butter
2 tsp. baking soda.
1 C M&Ms, 1/2 C peanuts, 1/2 C peanut butter m&m’s, and 1/2cup butterscotch chips (check to make sure ingredients are gluten free and use nuts and raisins or other GF candies as substitutes where necessary for the GF version).
4.5 C GF oats (regular oats can be used if you don’t care about the gluten)

In a big mixing bowl, cream eggs and sugars til smooth.
Add salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter and mix well.
Stir in baking soda, oats and m&ms.
You can use chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, etc. instead of the M&Ms.
The batter will be sticky and you’ll need to be deliberate about making sure the M&Ms don’t slide off each cookie as you drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or so.
Makes about 6 doz 2″ cookies.

Number of Servings: 72

The Magic of Vinegar!

If I had to pick one thing that I feel could be the revolutionary item of the green movement, it would have to be vinegar. Though acidic, vinegar is a natural product; the result of secondary fermentation of natural sugars and though it isn’t produced quite as simply today as it once was, it has been around for 10000 years!

Vinegar was the first and easiest step I took as I began my on going journey to live an eco-conscious life. As I finished off the bottle of Mr. Clean scrubbing my bathroom clean I didn’t put it back on the grocery list but instead replaced it with a spray bottle I filled with equal parts hot water and vinegar and few drops of dish detergent (I now use the Nature Clean brand of detergent made with tea tree oil). I had heard that vinegar was a great multipurpose cleaner from so many sources and I now join the team that advocates for the use of natural cleaners and boasts vinegars great and many cleaning abilities that make it so easy to switch from commercial chemicals to homemade more natural cleaners.

There are so many uses of Vinegar … too many to mention, but I will share a couple of my favourites and a book I discovered at a used book sale titled Vinegar: Over 400 Various, Versatile, and Very Good Uses You’ve Probably Never Though of by Vivki Lansky. This book classifies Vinegar uses under the chapters: Cooking, A Clean Kitchen, In the Bathroom, All Through the House, Laundry and Clothing, Beauty and Grooming, Good for You … Home Remedies, Handy Dandy Help, Kid Stuff, and Best for Pets. These categories definitely demonstrate Vinegars all round usefulness in everyday living. I love this book (at 50cents it was a bargain!). For the sake of this posts length I will start by posting my personal favourite uses of Vinegar, but stay tuned for more of my favourite suggestions from each of the above mentioned categories.

I’ve already mentioned vinegar in a spray cleaner, which I use on a daily basis as my all purpose cleaner. Taken from the above mentioned book I have also been using vinegar and water to keep my microwave clean.

Cleaning with Vinegar Tips:

1. To Clean a Microwave: Place a couple of tbls of vinegar in a microwave safe container filled with aprox 1/2 - 1 cup water. Microwave the water and vinegar mixture on high for three min. and then leave the door closed for at least 5min allowing the steam to form condensation in the microwave. When you get a moment, remove the dish with the vinegar mixture (so as not to waste is, I add it to my all purpose vinegar cleaner spray bottle) and wipe sown the microwave with ease. The vinegar and moisture loosens all the caked on food and the whole microwave wipes clean with ease!
2. For crisp clean laundry: add 1/4 cup laundry into the bleach dispenser of your washer (or add it by hand once the machine is full of water. Put through a regular laud of laundery using the detergent you normally do. The vinegar works to remove odors, keeps colours crisp and kills any mildew on laundry. It rinses away and leaves no vinegary smell (I promise). You’re laundry will be cleaner than ever before!

As you may have already read, we are expecting our first baby (a little boy) very shortly. In doing all kinds of research and preparing for this baby over the course of my pregnancy I decided very early on to go with cloth diapers. Though I knew I wanted to use cloth as apposed to disposable diapers from the beginning, once I started researching cloth diapers their became even more decisions then I was anticipating. I had know idea cloth diapers came in so many styles, shapes, fabrics, and designs. After visiting a couple of online stores and reading some articles I figured out the different cloth diaper categories.

For those of you who were like me and thought cloth diapers were all the same there are 5 different styles/types/categories that a cloth diaper can be classified under. These are the cloth diaper categories or types and a brief explanation of each category, generally listed from most expensive to least expensive (although this depends on a variety of factors as well). I’ve also included some other cloth diaper terms and accessories you’ll need to be familiar with if you are considering or choosing cloth diapers.

Types of Cloth Diapers:

Dreameze AIO

All-in-ones (AIO): a cloth diaper which doesn’t require a diaper cover as it consists of many layers: a soft inner layer, and absorbent soaker layer, and an outer waterproof layer, is trim fitting similar to traditional disposable diapers and has fasteners like Velcro or snaps to fit tightly like a disposable diaper. These are the closest to a disposable diaper of all the cloth diapers, and some would say for this reason are the simplest to use. Becuase of this, they are also usually the most expensive. With these diapers there is no need to have diaper covers (waterproof pants) or diaper fasteners (like pins or a snappi).

All-in-twos (AI2) are a new sub-category of AIOs. They are the same as AIOs except that the inner layer is not completely attached in the diaper which alow it to e removed and the diaper to dry quicker.

How to Use a Baby Kanga Pocket Diaper

Pocket Diapers: are similar to AIOs in that they have a soft inner layer and waterproof out layer. They, however do not have an inner soaker layer in between, but instead a pocket where a separate liner or insert is places. The benefit to this is that you can select your own type of absorbent liner to meet the needs or your baby and you can increase the absorbency with different material or more then one liner for heavy wetters and that you can remove the soaker insert for cleaning and drying. These are also pretty pricey when you consider that liners have to be purchase as well as the pocket diaper, however these don’t require a cover and allow you to adjust absorbency. These are also fitted like a disposable diaper and close and adjust with Velcro or snaps.

Fitted Diapers

Fitted Diapers: like the name implies are fitted to the baby like a disposable diaper, these diapers do not however have a waterproof layer and require a diaper cover. They close and adjust usually with velcro or snaps. These are usually much less expensive then AIOs or Pocket Diapers, but they do require a separate diaper cover. The diaper covers can be used several times before washing is required though, so less covers then fitted diapers are needed.

Kiddaluva Contour Diapers

Contour Diapers: are in between a fitted diaper and a pre-fold diaper. They are shaped like a fitted diaper and still require a cover and like a prefold require a fastening device such as diaper pins or a snappi. Contour diapers do not have elastic around the legs like a fitted diaper but have a contoured diaper like shape that fits snugly around the babies waist and legs.

Indian Prefold diapers

Pre-folds: are the most economical diaper. They are arguably also the most labour intensive as they are not shaped with leg holes or curved waists. They are a rectangular diaper made of several layers so they are very absorbent. They usually have 3-4 layers in the outer pieces and more layers in the middle for increased absorbency. They have to be folded into the shape of a diaper and require a diaper cover. Depending on the type of prefold they have seams or creases to help with folding. There are two main types of pre-folds: Chinese prefolds and Indian prefolds. There is slight difference in the fabric and the stitching between the two. Generally Indian prefolds are softer and usually made of unbleached organic cotton, while Chinese prefolds are usually a little thicker and stronger and are often bleached white.

Other Diaper terms and accessories:

Bummis Diaper Cover

Diaper cover: These are usually like underwear or a diaper shaped outer cover made of a waterproof material to keep babies clothes from getting wet. There are several different fabrics they can be made out of. Knitted woolen covers are often used as diaper covers and are referred to as woollies or soakers. Diaper covers are required for all cloth diapers except for AIOs, AI2s and pocket diapers.

Snappi fasteners

Snappi: a new type of fastener used instead of diaper pins. It is a T shape rubber/plastic fastener that grips the diaper fabric with plastic ends that work like the fasteners on a tenser bandage. These are reusable so only a few are needed. Contour diapers and prefolds require a fastener such as a Snappi or diaper pins to hold the diaper together in place under the diaper cover.

liners/insert/doublers

Liners/inserts: are necessary when using a pocket diaper and can be used in all type of cloth diapers to increase absorbency. Liners and inserts come in different sizes and fabrics to accommodate your individual child’s needs. Often inserts are needed even in AIO diapers for nighttime, long trips, or for heavy wetters. Prefold diapers can also be folded into a liner and placed inside another prefold or any other kind of cloth diaper for extra absorbency.

Doublers: are really just an insert used to add to a cloth diaper for extra absorbency

One place you’ll definitely want to check out as you research and make you’re decision on which diapers to purchase you’ll definitely find this site useful: www.diaperpin.com. It is an American site but it has reviews of almost all the different diapers as well as diaper accessories. Just type in the name brand or diaper name into the “find company or product” box at the bottom left corner of the site. I loved this site because there were a lot of comments from those who have tried each diaper brand with helpful reviews and things to consider.

Please, if you are a cloth diaper user leave reviews on this site to help me with my cloth diapering future and others like me.

Baked Apples ready to go in to the oven

Well, fall is here! And it’s my favourite season! I love the fall colours, the cool (but not yet freezing temperatures), and especially the food! As I’m expecting very shortly, we are not traveling for thanksgiving dinner this year or planning any kind of big meal ourselves, so to make up for that I’ve been enjoying every kind of delicious fall delicacy I can think of (or crave). For todays snack I made myself a delicious baked apple! I baked mine up and ate it right away and had one all ready to pop in the oven the moment my hungry boyfriend came in the door from work. I love to bake these apples up during the day because they make the house smell so good!

My delicious fall snack!

Here’s my baked apple recipe:

baked apple ingredients

Baked Apple:

Ingredients: Apples, cinimon, whole organic oats, butter or margarine, flour (gluten free baking mix for those of you like me), brown sugar, dried cranberries

Directions: 1. mix oats, flour, and cinnamon in a bowl 2. add butter or margarine and brown sugar 3. cut in the margarine and sugar until the mixture is crumbly and lumpy 4. set aside 5. core the apples you are using, cut slits in the top from the inside out 6. put a few dried cranberries inside each apple 7. loosely fill each apple with the oat mixture 8. sprinkle some more dried cranberries ontop of each apple and add a little extra brown sugar to the top. 9. Bake in the oven at 375 F for

YUM YUM!!!

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

This is definitely a comfort food meal perfect for a cold fall day. I made up two batches of cookies while the stew was cooking in the crock pot. I made one batch with choco-chips for my boyfriend (oatmeal choco-chip is his favourite) and then I made the cranberry batch gluten free by using uncontaminated oats, and gluten free baking mix instead of flour. These are great with milk!

Crockpot Rutabaga Beef Stew

1 Rutabaga peeled and cubed

3 large celery stalks chopped

3 large carrots chopped

1 cooking onion chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parley

1lb stewing beef

2 tbls olive oil

3 tbls red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1 bay leaf

1 tsp gravy browner

2 tbls cornstarch

3/4 cups water

to taste: dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, black pepper, salt, Worcestershire sauce

1. add chopped vegetable to crockpot
2. add beef to crock pot
3. add herbs and seasoning to taste
4. add bay leaf, olive oil, red wine vinegar and beef broth to crock pot
5. cover crockpot and let cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
6. In a jar combine the cornstarch, gravy browner, and water and shake well
7. stir in this cornstarch mixture in the last hour or two of cooking

Hardy Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies (or Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie)

cranberry outmeal cookies

1 1/2 cups flour

5 cups whole oats

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup margarine

3/4 cups white sugar

3/4 brown sugar

1 tbls vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup dried cranberries (may substitute chocolate chips)

1. combine oats, flour and baking soda in a bowl
2. combine sugar, margarine, vanilla and eggs in a large bowl
3. add oat mixture and cranberries to wet ingredients and combine well
4. place 2″ round balls of the mixture on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 10-12min.
5. let cool on cookie sheet for several min. and then move to wire racks to cool