Gluten Free Quick Cheese Biscuits

Happy 5th day of Christmas!

I arrived back home in Sorrento on Friday after some time with the family in Savona for Christmas. I've spent the last two and a half days sleeping and indulging in what Netflix has to offer. I'm also in the midst of finishing Christmas cards which at this point in my life I can't ever imagine getting out to the post before Christmas Day! So, I've decided to embrace the 12 days of Christmas a bit more fully in a few different ways... one being that I've decided it's totally acceptable to send out cards between December 25 and January 1 (or even a bit later!). Accept it friends!

Today I managed to make a lovely pot of Chicken Vegetable Rice soup (I've been waiting to have time to make soups since fall arrived long ago) and a batch of Cheese Biscuits which you'll find the receipe for below. The original biscuit recipe was not gluten free but I adapted it slightly to make it so (I love to experiment with my baking and tend to make gluten free options for potlucks... it's always nice to have options!). To make it "non gluten free" just use your regular flour and omit the xanthan gum. 

It's been good to sleep, good to make cards and good to cook. 

Happy baking and resting, friends!

Gluten Free Quick Cheese Biscuits

(inspired by Canadian Living's recipe) 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten free flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tbsp dried parsley

½ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder (I omitted)

¼ cup butter, cubed

1 cup shredded old Cheddar cheese

1 cup milk

In large bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, sugar, parsley, salt and garlic powder. Using pastry blender or two knives, cut in butteruntil mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add Cheddar cheese and milk, mixing with fork until ragged moist dough forms. Drop by ¼ cupfuls, 1 ½ inches apart, onto greased (or parchment paper lined) baking sheet.

Bake in centre of 425F oven for 13-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

*To make not gluten free, replace the all-purpose gluten free flour with your basic all-purpose flour and omit xanthan gum. Continue with recipe as directed.

Ten on Tuesday: Merry Christmas!

Ten on Tuesday being completed on Wednesday!

The view outside my patio windows. 

1) Firstly, Merry Christmas!!

2) We had a white Christmas all around. My home in Sorrento has tons and tons of snow and the family home in Savona also has lots of lovely snow. It really is beautiful.

3) On Saturday I got to shovel some snow from in front of the Cathedral. I know this should sound tedious and like a chore but it actually was a lovely break from the "normal". It was nice to do repetitive activity - the night was quiet and peaceful. The slowly falling snow had stopped. And the geese sang their lovely song high above the thick fog. Following this peace filled activity was the Holy Table Holy Word service at the Cathedral filled with scripture, song, silence and the sharing of the Holy Meal.

4) The kids spent two weekends with me over the month of December - it was so wonderful to have them up in Sorrento, to have fun with them and to spend hours of play in lots and lots of snow! I'll write more about this in the coming week or so as well as share the pizza recipe that we tackled with great success!

5) Christmas Eve was a marvelous night at the Cathedral with a very simple and yet oh so amazing sharing of the Christmas story by our children. I loved it. And I loved even more how many children who are not from the Cathedral community joined us in telling the story... how many children felt comfortable enough to join us in that story sharing. This is Christmas.

6) It will never be "normal" to attend Christmas Eve services on my own without my family, but I am so grateful for the family I have in the Cathedral community. The family with whom I don't feel so alone.

7) My family gathered together in Kamloops for Christmas Eve celebrations that were fun, high energy and filled with excited children. It was a lot, a lot of good but also just simply "a lot" at the same time.

8) Christmas Day started with sleeping in until 8am - this was a first and oh so very much appreciated. And of course the day was filled with piles of wrapping paper, much joy and excitement and a delicious dinner.

9) This is the first Christmas in a few years that has all of us children together. It's great and of course has also resulted in family photo taking... photos soon!

10) I'm kind of glad that the "big-major-crazy" part of Christmas is over so that the slower pace of the celebration of the birth of the little babe can be enjoyed.

Final lighting of the Advent Candles

Advent Candles - Christmas Morning

Christmas has come and the celebrations are over. I share with you two pictures. The first is the final lighting of the Advent Candles - all five are now lit, the Christ Child has arrived. Worship this Christmas Eve was wonderful and powerful. Our 4pm family service at the Cathedral was filled with so many children and a wonder sharing of the Christmas story. And for the first time in my life I got to be a sheep - so much fun! (Getting to be a sheep with my two year old friend from church just made the evening that much more magical!) The 11pm candlelight service was also wonderful, different feeling then the 4pm with a powerful message. I like both the services and very much like being within the Cathedral community on this special night of celebration.

Christmas Morning picture

I spent time with the family between services and then after the 11pm service. And of course I got the late night shift with Taylor and Rhys who decided that not sleeping was a very good idea. I think we finally fell asleep around 3:30am. And then at 6:30am all the alarm clocks went off... thank you Taylor! We spent the morning together with mom and then went home to spend the rest of the day with dad. It was a good day with good company and good food.

We missed Deana this year. This was our first Christmas where one of us kids was not present. Deana was in Edmonton with her boyfriend and his family. We look forward to seeing her in the spring. So, this second picture is of us kids together on Christmas morning... yes, we had another brown Christmas.

Christmas Day Thankfulness

The long awaited for Christmas Day is coming to an end. My eyes are asking, "when is bed time?". My mind is asking, "how much longer can the kids who stayed up until 3:45am and woke up at 6:30am stay awake? When will the adrenaline from the excitement die down?" It's the beauty of having brothers and sisters who are still 8, 10 and 12 years old. The excitement is so present. 

As they sit playing a game and try to figure out new pieces of technology and I've opened every near impossible plastic case and read every set of instructions they still sit engaged and excited. And I sit here enjoying a pause in the evening and enjoy a cup of tea. Dad and Wesley are sleeping (I took my nap this afternoon!), Sara has gone to spend time with her boyfriend in Kamloops, Stewart is working and Deana wasn't home this year but is with her boyfriend and his family in Edmonton. 

We've enjoyed a Christmas feast and I even managed to shepherded the kids into helping clean up dinner and Christmas Day craziness. I've still got the talent!

After a very long December I've been thinking of what I am thankful for. Here is a start:

- My loving family. We're spread out and things are a bit different these days but they are all still beyond amazing! 

- Christmas Eve worship. The celebration of Jesus' birth with good friends and amazing worship leadership. It's an extension of my family, it's the community where I feel safe. 

- My role as a sheep in the Cathedral Nativity Play, my two year old "buddy"who gets so excited when she sees me... it makes my day every time I see her! We were sheep together!

- Aaron narrating for me the game he is playing on his DS

- Taylor and Rhys sitting on the couch together, helping one another figure out the unknowns of an itouch

- Sara's willingness to stay around and help with the clean-up before taking off

- The many phone conversations with Deana, distance may separate us but we talk oh-so-much!

- The love Stewart has for his brothers and sisters... he can't hide it!

- Wesley's humor, hardworking and caring self. 

Obviously there is lots more that I am thankful for on this Christmas Day. Maybe it is a good idea for us all to take some time to remember all the things we are blessed with. 

Merry Christmas my friends. May God bless you this day and all the days to come.

Christmas and New Years Adventures...

It has been an amazing Christmas season starting with great worship on Christmas Eve while surrounded by wonderful friends and now I’ve just ended a marvelous New Years Eve celebration with my youngest brothers and sisters, cousins, and some long time friends!

Christmas Day saw all of us children together for the first time in almost a whole year, which is very sad but was also just completely joyous! I suppose this is the part of us older kids growing up… I definitely always seem to be off at some meeting, busy with school, or engaging in some piece of ministry… so I’m not helping with the "being present often" task!! So, we took the advantage of being together and got a few family pictures taken. The weather was fall-like with no snow in site so our pictures look like they were taken in the fall. But they turned out really good, yes, of course our group pictures did not have everyone looking in the same place at once and so on and so forth… but there are eight of us – one can only ask for so many miracles at a time!

I spent the days after Christmas sleeping, playing with the children, being the big-sister/house-making type person, and reading. Oh how completely lovely it was to read novels that are not on a required reading list… it has been months since I delved into such pleasure! Reminded me of how important and amazing it is!

I came back to my house in Kamloops on Wednesday hoping to run some errands but ended up sleeping almost the whole entire day, I must have needed it. And it didn’t help that a horrible headache took over. Ah, well as I was reminded a day of “nothingness” can be important every once in a while! So Thursday was my massive “prepare for New Years Eve” day and it was exhausting… the stores were packed full of people – and we all know how much I enjoy that…

So, New Years Eve this year… well, I hosted what I have been informed is the annual party this year at my place in Kamloops. So I currently have my four youngest siblings, three cousins, and two long time friends at my house taking over beds and floor space… I have somehow been kicked out of my bed and bedroom and sent to the air mattress on the living room floor. 3:00am and I am still hearing moments of laughter and the sounds of distant movies playing. Now I wonder, will they sleep in? And when will I be required to make breakfast?

Ah, it is all in great joy and we’ve made wonderful memories. Shared dinner, laughed lots, watched movies, played games, ate way too many snacks, and rang in the New Year with our sticker decorated wine glasses and sparkling juice! It was great!

Now… maybe sleep? I’ll share pictures from tonight when I can think properly again…

2010 Family Pictures!

Family Pictures 2010! See how everyone's grown!! Yes, Wesley does appear to be taller then me! Enjoy! (Family update to come soon!) And - these were taking on Christmas Day... that is right... no snow...

Aaron... Grade 2.

7 Years old.

Rhys... Grade 4.

9 Years old.

Taylor... Grade 6.

11 Years old.

Wesley... Grade 9.

14 Years old.

Sara... Grade 11.

16 Years old.

Deana.... Grade 12.

18 Years old.

Stewart... Cooking!

20 Years old.

Me... 4th Year University &

Youth Coordinator

22 Years old.