Gluten Free Banana Bread

Kudos to whoever came up with this recipe!  I found it in my GF recipe archives and have no idea where it came from.  Trust me, this has to be good since I consider eating bananas akin to Chinese water torture.  In addition, I do not have to eat GF and I still think this tastes normal!  Give it a go and tell me what you think:

Gluten Free Banana Bread

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

3 ripe bananas*

1 1/2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract (I use pure, not imitation)

1 1/2 cups all purpose baking flour (I had Jules Gluten Free Flour hanging around so I used that)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (unless your all purpose flour already has it added to it; check bag)

~Mix sugar and butter with mixer til creamed and fluffy.  Mix in eggs one at a time. 

~In a separate bowl, mash bananas and stir in milk, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Add banana mixture to creamed mixture; stir with mixer.

~Combine remaining dry ingredients and slowly stir into wet mixture until flour disappears.

~Pour mixture into greased standard sized bread loaf pan.  Bake on middle rack of oven at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until the edges and top are golden brown.  

This bread freezes nicely by the way.  I would not keep it out at room temperature for storage as we all know that GF food goes bad quickly!

*Note: If you wouldn't consider eating the bananas, don't put them in your bread!  They should be soft, not spoiled.

While we're on the subject, what is your favorite all purpose gluten free flour?  I have used Jules and one other brand whose name is escaping me at the moment.  Let me know what you prefer and why.  Many thanks!

A Home for Laurel

Laurel has 6 months to find a family....

 

From the blog, You Will Go Out With Joy:

Laurel is fifteen years old, and she's listed with the "Other Angels" on Reece's Rainbow.  She could be in a place where she is loved.  She could be in a place where a fifteen-year-old's biggest problem is related to school.  Instead, she's in an orphanage, and she has six months to be adopted.  Six months or not at all.  Six months to have a family or be transferred to an adult mental institution.  Six months.  She cannot legally be adopted once she turns sixteen.  It's a terrible, unfair law, but for now, it's what we have to work with.  Please help me to spread the word about this girl.  What she needs more than anything right now is awareness.  She needs for the right people to see her picture and be willing to take action.  She needs people to SHARE.  I've said it before.  There are far too many able adults in this world for a girl like Laurel to go to a place where NOBODY WILL PAY ATTENTION TO HER.  Please, please, please share this post.  Share it on facebook, your own blog, twitter, email, whatever means you happen to have.  Let's get her picture out there.  Her mama is out there somewhere.  Let's keep sharing until she finds her. 

 

http://reecesrainbow.org/?s=laurel&x=0&y=0 

A Family for Chandler & Robert

Chandler, born January 2010

Look at those big blue eyes!!

Chandler has Down syndrome and a patent foramen ovale – which is a small hole between the chambers of the heart.  This is common in childhood, and often closes without any medical intervention.

These children are blessed to be in an excellent orphanage, however this region typically requires 3 trips. This is a great orphanage and the children receive excellent care, and there is minimal travel in-country.  This orphanage is close to the Capital city, so it's fantastic for sight-seeing.

Reece's Rainbow has had many successful adoptions from this orphanage, and know families that are willing to share their experiences.

http://reecesrainbow.org/17774/chandler505

Robert, born 2009

Robert is only a month older than Chandler and they are in the same orphanage; they could be adopted together and grow up as brothers!

He has Down syndrome and a patent foramen ovale – which is a small hole between the chambers of the heart.  This is common in childhood, and often closes without any medical intervention.
http://reecesrainbow.org/17790/robert507

Teamwork Tuesday Child of the Week - Robert

This sweet little boy was born in December of 2009 and needs a mom and dad to call his own!

The following is from the Reece's Rainbow Web site:

Robert is just up from his nap — and look how bright-eyed he is!   He has a couple of little teeth peeking out on the bottom, too

He has Down syndrome and a patent foramen ovale – which is a small hole between the chambers of the heart.  This is common in childhood, and often closes without any medical intervention.

These children are blessed to be in an excellent orphanage, however this region typically requires 3 trips.  This is a great orphanage and the children receive excellent care, and there is minimal travel in-country.  This orphanage is close to the capital city, so it's fantastic for sight-seeing.  

We have had many successful adoptions from this orphanage, and families are willing to share their experiences.

$1124.00 is available towards the cost of my adoption! 

 

Please share Robert in the hopes his family will find him.  

ReecesRainbow.org

“Once our eyes are opened, we can’t pretend we don’t know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows what we know, and holds us responsible to act.” -Proverbs 24:12

My major fundraising project for Quinten is winding down to a close.  At least 340.00+ has been raised through monetary donations, raffle sales and silent auction items.  Now we just have to wait for the final tallies from the home party sales reps to determine the final outcome.  I am also closing out my candle sales today and will tally those funds up as well.

This has been time consuming and lots of work, but I loved every minute of it.  My youngest son Liam even got in on the act by painting a picture of a Christmas tree and selling it for the very precise amount of 5.03.  When a close friend of mine bought it, he turned to me and asked for the money so I had to explain it all to him again but I think he gets it now!  :-)  Hoping I am planting a seed in him that will grow with time.

Now if only Quinten would find a family, this project would be complete!  Please join me in advocating for him and all the other orphans who are running out of time.

Also, if you have any thoughts or ideas on fundraising, please leave a comment below.  Ideas are always welcome!

Thine Own Worst Enemy

My fundraiser for little Quinten is now less than two weeks away and I've been consumed with planning, strategizing and researching.  I am by nature a list maker and an organizer, so I feel like I'm going full speed ahead and not doing too shabbily with the minute details of all this.

While I am extremely excited and passionate about my cause, I am also left to feel incredibly guilty.  Why do I feel this amazingly organized brain fails me when it comes to my own son?    Instead of following through on the "to do" lists for Conor, I stare at them, not knowing where to turn next, which "cure" might work for his Autism, what might help him communicate better.  I read about the myriad of treatments, supplements and diets and I stop dead in my tracks, plagued by indecisiveness, worry and doubt.  The "what ifs" torture me....what if they eventually do him more harm than good and on the other side....what if they would have helped him had I started him on them earlier??  A plethora of other moms seem to be certain of the paths they've chosen, while I sit here and feel paralyzed by indecision.  And yet, here I am organizing all sorts of fundraising activities for a poor soul I do not know and feeling like I am making steady progress (whether it will be a success or not, I do not know; I just know that with this project at least I move forward).

Maybe with Quinten at least there is only one clear goal for now.  To get him adopted and removed from the horrible possibility that he may be placed in a mental institution where he will likely die very young.  While with Conor, there are so many areas to work on, I just cannot find that one clear path to move forward on.  I realize there is no panacea, so I suppose I just need to be kinder to myself and do baby steps.

Any other moms out there feel this way??  How have you come to terms with the huge amount of research and therapy, etc. that needs to be done with your special needs child?

“When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better.”

As a wife to a terrific husband who has a demanding job, a mother to two little boys who are only 18 months apart, and an employee of two jobs (one rather time-consuming), you would think I have enough on my plate, right? But nooooo…..I keep adding to it for some unknown reason. However, when I looked into the face of a little two year old boy from Russia who has no home, no family to call his own and who faces each day living in an orphanage, I could not turn away. Working alongside Reece’s Rainbow (www.reecesrainbow.org), I have decided to become Quinten’s “Christmas Warrior” this year. The goal is to raise 1000.00 by 12/31/11 to put into his adoption fund, in the hopes it will encourage a family to adopt him and give him a permanent home. Please join me in donating and/or sharing his link so that he may hopefully have a chance at living the life he so richly deserves, warm, safe, and loved, in the arms of a family he can call his own. Thank you!