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Tomato Soup for the Soul: What My Scars Taught Me
Recently, my daughter learned she has to live with a scar on her face for the rest of her life. Daily she remonstrated about how she doesn’t like it one bit. I don’t blame her. In fact, I could empathize a lot! When I was 13 years old, I had a tragic accident that could’ve caused devastating scarring, potentially ending my life’s dream of becoming a musician and composer. ___________________________ It was the Saturday before starting 8th grade. I was ecstatic for school to start. I had requested a specific teacher and it was granted. I knew it was going to be an incredible year! I was also preparing for…
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Pecan Pie Bar Recipe
I’m going to break away from the rules and post the recipe first, then the tips and/or story behind the recipe. You’re welcome! Tips & Backstory Me, pie crust and pecan pie filling have struggled to get along for many years. I have never been able to get my pecan pies to set well without having to first burn them a bit. It doesn’t help either that fructose behaves a bit differently that sucrose (table sugar, cane sugar). Fructose tends to liquify and cause batters to be more soupy. It is a bit sweeter than sucrose. It tends to brown more quickly at lower temperatures, yet requires a higher temperature…
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(Almost) Paleo Persian Love Cake – A Gift to Brittany’s Supporters
You did it! All you wonderful donors, shares and prayers. You all helped push to the half-way mark to $25,000 for Brittany Dangerfield. A little over $15,000 total have been donated. Hundreds of donations. A little under 1,000 shares via Gofundme alone. Thousands of faith-filled prayers. Hundreds of words of encouragement and support. The outpouring of your love and support has been overwhelming and humbling. Speaking of love… I wanted to share my love and gratitude for all of you! I promised a special gift for all of you for helping reach the halfway mark! My gift to you is… !!! (Almost) Paleo Persian Love Cake!!! The lore behind the…
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Paleo Hot Fudge – Smucker’s Healthy Twin
I’m a hot fudge girl. Always have been. When I found out I couldn’t eat sucrose I was devastated. I had to avoid Smucker’s hot fudge for the rest of my life. How could any girl live without an occasional (or daily) spoonful of “medicine”?! About a year after my diagnosis and figuring out my safe foods I realized I still needed chocolates, brownies, chocolate cake, and hot fudge. I was determined to get what I wanted without making myself deathly ill. I started experimenting. I tried everything. I mean, everything and every combination available on the store shelf or online (at the time). I finally found the sweet spot…
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Adapting and Cashew Cauliflower Soup
As a senior in college I was tasked with teaching a little summer cooking class to middle school students whose parents couldn’t afford a babysitter over the summer while they went to work. These kids did not want to be there in the hot, stuffy school with a broken A/C being babysat by college kids practicing to become teachers. I knew my rotation was coming soon and I was struggling to create a curriculum on cooking. I had no idea where to start – there was SO much these kids didn’t know that I (a history teacher) could teach them about cooking. Cooking! My favorite hobby, obsession, and passion! Inspiration…
