Substance of Living

If you find yourself single for whatever reason on this Valentine's Day, send out thoughts of love and let the self-pampering begin.   Treat yourself special.  After all, aren't you the best person to be around? Whether February the 14th falls on a work day or not, enjoy some quality time throughout this month.  Here are some ways to luxuriate in your independence: Have fun! Make a Cuddle Basket the day before to enjoy during tonight's movie marathon or some good ol' binge watching of your favorite series.  Include items like a new throw blanket, hot chocolate ( here or here ), gourmet popcorn , and some semi-homemade cookies . Swaddle in your blanket and journal or read. Linger in your lounging wear. Dress up and go to a museum. Treat yourself to something at a spa. Try going tech-free; set your phone for emergency or to receive calls only from your favorites list. Go sightseeing in your own city or visit somewhere that's within a day's drive. Cook yourself a ...

Take a look and drool over everything that came in the September Send Me Gluten-Free box!  I'm telling you, these boxes of goodies each month are AWESOME!!! Thanks to Pamela's , we enjoyed a pancake breakfast one morning. Had a romantic picnic, provided by gopicnic , Beanfield's , and Lovely , inside by the fire one evening. Breakfast and a snack on the go by Giddy Up & Go and SoyJoy . I'm telling you, these boxes are like a little surprise gift each month and the best way to sample all sorts of gluten-free items.  It's so much better and cheaper to enjoy new goodies each month than to go out and purchase items that you've never tried.  You and I both know how expensive a lot of gluten-free or specialty food items are to just to fill your grocery cart full of new items. Take a look at last month's box of SendMeGlutenFree and you'll know what I've been going on about.  There are some products I've tried before, which are...

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies DH and I were trying to figure out when Red Velvet anything is not appreciated.  What we were able to decipher is that Christmas, Valentines Day, Birthdays, Parties of any sort, Weekdays, Weekends, in fact any time is appropriate to serve up Red Velvet something or other. We are serving Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by Duncan Hines with tea this afternoon.  Here's how we did it (of course I had to change up the actual recipe a bit as you'll see in the notes). Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Ingredients: (Taken directly from the box) 6 tablespoons Butter 1 cup Powdered Sugar 1 teaspoon Cornstarch 1 box Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix 2 Large Eggs 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. Melt Butter and set aside. Combine Cornstarch and Powdered Sugar in a shallow bowl - set aside. Combine and mix by hand the Cake Mix, Cooled Butter, Eggs and Lemon Zest...

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil When I was asked to sample and review Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, I knew a special recipe had to be created.  Something everyone would enjoy, something for the holiday season, something new and something easy. These cookies hold their shape, slightly crunchy on the outside with a moist and crumbly interior that melts in your mouth.  Mini muffins were tried and they held up to the test of the cookies as well as the baking time.   Ingredients: 2 cups All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/3 cup Sugar 3/4 cup Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil (room temperature or slightly melted) 2 teaspoons Vanilla 1 cup Pumpkin Puree (not pie mix) 1 cup Chocolate Chips  Directions: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine wet...

Is it your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner this year?  Why not make it a casual affair by setting up a buffet.  That way everyone can dish their own plate and the big reason is to allow more room in the center of the table for your beautiful tablescape ! Thanksgiving Tablescape by Between Naps on the Porch Here's the menu to make life a little easier. Buffet Table by Divine Dinner Party Thanksgiving Buffet Dinner Menu Deviled Eggs (This can be made the day before) Apple, Cranberry Walnut Salad tossed in a Brown Sugar Glaze Roasted Corn on the Cob Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (This can be made the day before or open the can and refrigerate on serving dish) Green Bean Casserole (This can be assembled the day before minus the french fried onions ) Sweet Potato Souffle (This can be prepped a day or two ahead) Cornbread Stuffing (This can be prepped a day or two ahead) Herb Roasted Turkey (Thaw according to USDA guidelines ) Slow Roasted Beef wi...

Personal Size Gluten-Free Berry Brownie in a Bowl You've probably heard of cakes in a cup or seen some photos flying around the internet or have received a recipe in your email.  In fact, it took until the other night that I actually made one of these chocolatey delights. Couldn't find the email with the recipe so I went in search of a recipe that was quick, easy, and hopefully yummy.  Well, there were so many!  Where was I to begin?  OK, one thing was that I didn't want to make an entire cake so anything that required the usual cake staples had to be eliminated or modified. On hand were some mixed berries and Neufchatel cheese that I wanted to try and incorporate. Here is what I came up with after looking at so many different recipes out there.  I don't even remember all that I looked at; but here are a few Jessicakes , Clay Designs by Glee , and Squirrel Momma . Personal Size GF Berry Brownie in a Bowl with a glass of wine Ingredient...