Sentient

I am one week into my new gluten-free life. Tuesday last week I had an endoscopy which confirmed what my doctor had suspected after seeing the results of my recent blood tests. I have battled against anaemia for years, getting my levels up to the bare minimum, only to see them plummet back within a year. The last test concerned my doctor as there were other deficiencies showing up along side the iron. She decided that perhaps I was not absorbing the iron or other nutrients, an effect of celiac disease. To cut a long story short, it appears that she was right.

I have not met with a dietician yet or started reading books on the condition. I have done a little googling and a lot of label reading. (actually my children are doing a lot of the label reading as I can’t decipher that tiny writing) I am not new to restrictive diets. I was once put on an elimination diet which started with pears, rice and not much else. I have managed to follow a wheat free, dairy free, refined sugar free diet, (some would say the flavour free diet). In fact over the past fifteen years I have restricted my wheat and dairy products most of the time.

The specialist who did the test believed, without waiting for the results of the biopsy, that I have celiac disease and suggested I start the diet immediately. I keep thinking of foods that are now forbidden like egg rolls, lemon meringue pie and muesli. And then one springs to mind which is acceptable like pavlova. I intend to make some delicious and mouth watering gluten free snacks and put them in the freezer, but right now it’s pretty much just peanut butter and rice crackers. Imagine if I couldn’t have peanut butter either, now that would be bad.

I have two soup recipes to share with you. The first, I made and the other I enjoyed at a friend’s house.

Beef and Barley Soup with Mushrooms

½oz(14g) package dried wild mushrooms such as porcini
1 cup boiling water
1 tbs vegetable oil
8oz(250g) stewing beef, cut into ¼” dice
2 onions, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, peeled and thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cracked black peppercorns
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
½ cup pearl barley, rinsed
2 tbs tomato paste
6 cups beef broth
sour cream
finely chopped dill

1. In a heatproof bowl, soak dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve, reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms finely and set aside.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to slow cooker stoneware.
3. Add onions, celery and carrots to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, salt, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaves and cook, stirring , for one minute. Add barley and stir until coated. Stir in tomato paste, chopped mushrooms, beef broth and reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a boil. Transfer to slow cooker.
4. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours. Discard bay leaf. Ladle into individual bowls, top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with dill.

taken from Delicious and Dependable Slow Cooker Recipes Judith Finlayson.

Orange Squash Soup

1 butternut or buttercup squash
1 tbs butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbs ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp cumin
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
¼ cup orange juice concentrate
4½ cup chicken broth
¼ tsp nutmeg
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper
sour cream

1. Cook squash. Heat butter and add onion, ginger, cumin and cook about 3 minutes.
2. Add carrot, orange juice, broth and squash. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until carrots and tender
3. Blend in blender and puree until smooth.
4. Add spices, return to heat and serve with dollop of sour cream.

Yesterday we attended the award ceremony at the museum where the children entered the Gingerbread house competition. L13 and P13 were very pleased to be awarded first place for “Children’s Group - Original Design” and A11, H10 and B7 proudly accepted second place in the same category. The local newspaper had a photographer there so we will wait and see if they end up in the paper. The houses are to stay intact for a few more days so Group of Four can see them. After that some people want to try eating the two month old gingerbread…

For us as for many people Christmas time is a time to spend with family and friends. Usually the “family” is the five of us, the rest living far, far away over the ocean. This year we have been very happy to have one of my Melbourne cousins here for Christmas. She arrived on Christmas Eve from New York but had already spent a few weeks visiting warmer parts of north and central America.

On Christmas Eve she and I did a few last minute errands and while we were out she was delighted that it started to snow, really snow. After supper we all went to the carol service at our church. The next morning we had a leisurely start poking in our stockings, eating pancakes and then opening the gifts from under the tree. We headed off mid afternoon to spend the rest of the day with some friends who made us feel part of their family. We finished the evening doing Karaoke, all of us, not something that happens every day. In fact it only happens with these particular friends.

Then next few days were also spent visiting friends and enjoying conversation, food and fun. The children have tobogganed, seen a play, watched Oliver (A11’s Christmas gift) and made snowmen. We all spent one day in Montreal, visiting the Biodome and wandering in and out of shops on Rue St Denis. We left my cousin there for a couple of days and had a quiet day yesterday, sorting and putting away the debris of our merriment and gift giving.

Here is the finished lighthouse made by A11, H10 and B7. There was quite the negotiation session at the end in order to make a decision about adding the colour to the roof, but I think everyone was happy with the finished product.

L13 and P12 were very happy with the “Little House” when they finished. You can’t see it very well in this picture but there is a chimney which is made from chocolate rocks held together with brown icing mortar.

Entries close tomorrow and judging is next weekend. I’ll let you know how they go.

L13 and P12 are fixing the walls of the Little House on the Prairie with icing. You can see a blob of icing on the inside of the house which is my attempt at reinforcement as I picked up that piece while it was still warm and it cracked a little.

H10 is lining the third wall of the pentagonal lighthouse with icing before attaching it to the walls A11 is holding in place. The construction phase finished yesterday and the houses are sitting on our kitchen table waiting for the last of the decorating to happen tomorrow.

It has been a few years since we made a gingerbread house, although we make and decorate gingerbread cookies every year. Often we make plans and dream up elaborate ideas but then run out of time to make the house. This year we have entered a competition so the plans are coming to fruition.

L13 has teamed up with her friend P12. B7, A11 and H10 are working together and the two creations are very different. Initially each team was keeping their designs a secret, but a slip was made and discussions over heard so they shared their plans with each other. As neither house is traditional they had to come up with their own plans. L and A spent quite a while drafting and then made mock-ups with cardboard.

Last night we mixed, rolled, cut and baked gingerberad for three hours, heading off to bed around 11pm tired but very happy with all the necessary pieces for one lighthouse and one replica of the “Little House on the Prairie”. Not only were all the pieces cut, but windows and doors also. Before baking we put white candies in the window spaces which melted to make milky white panes.

Drop in tomorrow and hopefully I will have the next part of the process up for you to see.

As summer slips away we are enjoying cooler nights, crisper mornings but warm sunny days. This pleases me as I am in no hurry for summer to end. I had to get jeans and a sweatshirt out last weekend, but I wasn’t happy about it. Signs of the season change are all around us: leaves changing colour and falling, pumpkins in the fields and road side stands and of course Halloween madness in the stores. It is also apple picking time.

Last year we picked apples with my parents at an orchard a fair way out of town. It was a pleasant drive and we came home with bags of Lobos. This year we chose an orchard closer to town so the group of four could all pick together. Macintosh and Empire were available . Everyone took a quarter bushel basket but I soon realised that I didn’t actually want that many apples!

On arriving home I filled the fruit bowl and made some apple sauce for supper but we hardly made a dent in the load. Apple crumble, apple pies and more apple sauce are all in the plan for the next week and of course morning, afternoon and bedtime snacks are covered also. I have never dried apples but I might look into how to go about it.

I know the birthday report is running a little late but we having been busy living our life here, and not taking time to write about it! The following is an interview with the birthday girl, A11.

H: How did your birthday begin?

A11: I started the day by looking at the rearranging my sister L12 had done in the doll house. I found some streamers, and in the dining room my dolls had presents and cake.

H: What did you have for breakfast?

A11: Waffles, cream and fruit.

H: Did you open any presents?

A11: Oui.

H: And…

A11: My sister gave me some body wash, which I thought was food, some flip flops and a tshirt.

H: I see you are wearing the tshirt now, it looks very nice.

A11: Thankyou.

H: Would you like to tell us about any other presents?

A11: Next were some bubbles, then a pair of binoculars (eagerly hoped for), a bedroom setting for the dollhouse, a personalised drink bottle and bracelet and a spotty wallet.

H: Did you stay home and enjoy using your new gifts?

A11: No, I went to camp, where it was raining.

H: Did that spoil your day?

A11: Not at all, it stopped raining soon after I arrived. While at camp I went swimming, played Mafia, and other activities. Just before I lunch the girls in my group sung Happy Birthday and then I was invited to the little boys group and they sung Happy Birthday

H: What did you do after camp?

A11: I came home and used my binoculars to watch the birds in the backyard. I installed the new furniture in the doll house and moved my money into the new wallet.

H: Did you choose the birthday dinner?

A11: Yes, we had bbq chicken, potatoes and salad with ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

H: Then I guess you hopped off to bed because you were so worn out.

A11: No, actually, I didn’t. I chatted on the phone to people who had called to wish me Happy Birthday, I played the Stuart Little computer game with B6 and then watched an episode of the Cosby show to end the night.

So there you have it, a simple but enjoyable birthday for the Queen of Bits and Pieces

Such uncontrolled and raucous laughter has not been heard around our dining table in a while. We have had some intense games of 1-100 in past months but none have been as loud as this one. Tonight we had the camp counselors here for dinner after their day at camp. Initially there was no sign of the rowdiness we were to see later. They were all quiet and polite; they planted themselves around A10’s doll house where they chatted and waited for the whole contingent to arrive.

Even when they were all present they stayed there and had their daily debriefing, ending with a prayer time. Next they gravitated to the kitchen, but still I saw only mild and helpful young adults chatting with each other and offering to help me. When the bbq was being consumed we began to see some enthusiastic eating from the young men, and some eagerness when I brought out the icecream sandwiches.

After dinner my suggestion of a game of 1-100 was met with blank looks. L12 and I gathered the supplies: piece of paper for everyone, a die and a pen. The rules are simple: everyone takes turns rolling the die, when anyone rolls a six they grab the pen and start writing consecutive numbers starting at one. Then next person to roll a six grabs the pen from the writer and begins (or continues) writing their own numbers. The first to one hundred is the winner.

Shouting, jungle type sounds, shrieks and groans were heard amidst much laughter. If you don’t believe me just try it. I think we saw the counselors true colours showing through! Seriously, though they are a great group and Andrew and I were happy to spend some time with them. They have committed their summer to giving many children (2 of ours this week) a safe, happy and fun packed time at camp, sharing Jesus’ love as they do.