This really is a miracle day!

January 4th, my mom and I went on a shopping day.

First, we went to the Williams New Seasons, and first, I brought over some bottles to recycle that I get from my neighbors. I got one dollar and thirty cents this time!

So then we went in and I got my money and went over to the bakery and looked at the cupcakes but I couldn't decide! I was looking at these big fat cupcakes from Gluten Free Gem and also the cheesecakes.

My mom went shopping for soup so I could decide.

Then I went over to these four pack deals from Udi's and showed my mom and my mom said "you can get four for less, and have more than just one" so that's what I decided to do.

I also got a Blue Sky organic soda and a Justin's candy bar. I bought all these with my bottle money and my gift card I won.

the swirls on the top were my favorite part. 

This was chewy, crunchy and delicious. The chocolate makes me feel happy. 

Next, we went to Fred Meyer and I saw dairy free ice cream for 82 cents! I thought it was my lucky lucky day! AND THEN... my mom got REAL bacon and I was jumping up and down and I was saying "wow! this really is a miracle day!"

So I made breakfast today with my muffin and real bacon, and some tea.

Taking a picture of myself drinking the tea. It was so good! 

Craft Fair at The Arbor Lodge

This Saturday evening my mom and I are going to be vendors at The Winter Bazaar at The Arbor Lodge.

I made some felt play pasta for kids. I have "pesto farfalle" and "cheesy agnolotti". They will be on sale for $4.00 per package. I will also have some aprons for sale too!

My mom is going to have her belts and dresses there too, and my sister will have a table as well. Come by and say hi if you are in Portland and buy some play pasta!

New Cascadia Cupcake

My mom and I were grocery shopping and we went to New Seasons. I had my gift card that I won so I went to the cupcake area and chose a vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting from New Cascadia. 

The frosting was at first hard, because it was refrigerated, then it softened in the car. Now it tasted like chocolatey butter.

The candy sticks tasted like chocolate and vanilla swirl.

The cake is vanilla and I LOVE vanilla, and it tastes moist; it's soft, nice in my mouth, and it's powdery, in a good way, not grainy.

It's very sugary!

You should go get one of these cupcakes at New Seasons or New Cascadia, they are delicious! Fancy, divine, wonderful.

Recipe Contest

The GIG of Portland had a Thanksgiving recipe contest and we decided to go. I made some strawberry cupcakes to enter in the contest. And guess what! I won second place!

I won a twenty dollar gift card to New Seasons and a very nice cookbook Make Ahead Paleo.

Me mixing up the batter. 

Finished cupcakes. I loved frosting them and putting the strawberries on the top and making them pretty. 

At the potluck, which was so good! There was so much good food there! We brought our recipes to share. 

I'm excited to try new recipes from this book! 

And here is my winning recipe!

Strawberry Cupcakes

gluten, dairy, egg free

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup mashed strawberries

1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (we use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour) 

1 3/4 TSP baking powder

1/2 cup coconut milk or water

Mix all ingredients using a mixer, and pour into 

cupcake papers in a cupcake pan. 

Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

Sugar Shop Peanut Butter Cookies

My mom got in a fashion show, called Modified Style Portland  and she signed me up too. We get a bag of fabric scraps, and then we design something from those scraps, then model it at the fashion show. I was in youth division.

I made a really cool suit with spikes and a belt with spikes. When I walked down the runway every one whooped and hollered and it made me feel very proud of myself and it made me feel like a fashion designer.  At the very end, I found out I won FIRST PLACE in the youth division! I was so surprised! For winning first place, I got a goodie bag! I got two gift cards for The Sugar Shop  and since we were working on the blog, my mom and I decided that we were going to the Sugar Shop and write about it.

A couple of weeks ago, we went to The Sugar Shop. The only gluten free thing there at the moment was peanut butter cookies. It was a five dollar gift card, so I was able to get three peanut butter cookies!

                                      (I still had some Halloween make up on!)

The cookies tasted like peanut butter and cookie and some chunks of peanuts. The cookies are soft, except for the crunchy peanuts.

I gave my business card to the owner, and she was happy about it. She said maybe I could make things and trade with her, so I was excited about that.

Bob's Red Mill

We had the day off of school on Friday and my mom decided we would take a tour of Bob's Red Mill, which is about twelve miles south of us in Milwaukie, Oregon. I was really excited to go and see where our grains come from, because we buy lots of Bob's Red Mill stuff.

They have a place just for gluten free flours and they even test it in a lab to always make sure it's safe for gluten free. 

I didn't really believe Bob was even real, but we were sitting there listening to the tour lady, and unexpectedly, Bob walked through the door! I was so excited that I got to see Bob! He was 84 and I was pretty surprised he walked through his 15 acre factory every day.

Then we took the tour and saw how they grind the grains and put it into bags. I learned they have over 400 products, and they work 24 hours a day.

here we learned what wheat looks like, how to get the wheat berries out and grind it. 

Bob's Red Mill is in all different countries around the world! 

I want to win gluten free awards one day! 

On June 15, 1988, Bob's Red Mill was burned down in a fire by an arsonist. And Bob said to the firemen "save my two stones!" and they were saved. But Bob didn't quit!  They rebuilt the mill and the barn.  Now it's a huge business and he gave his business to his employees.

At the end of the tour, they gave out free samples and a chip to buy a cookie at the store.

After the tour, we went to the Bob's Red Mill red barn store and restaurant. I ordered the plate of three gluten free French Toast.

I was excited about all the dairy free butter and jelly I put all over my toast! 

There was eggs on the French Toast and I thought that was strange but it was so delicious and eggy. I thought three pieces of toast it wasn't going to be enough. But after having half a piece I was already beginning to be full. I had also had my free little gluten free donut too. It was a lot of food. 

Bob came down to the restaurant and he played the piano and I thought it was kind of funny, so I took some pictures but I also took a video! Here he is playing "When You're Smiling".  I was so excited and amazed I could be there that day. 

Back to Eden: Pumpkin Pie

I took a first bite of the pumpkin pie and the only stuff I could get to was the cream, so I took a bite of the cream and it was wonderful, divine, beautiful.

                                            so many yummy looking things, hard to make a decision!

Why I chose the pumpkin pie is one night I went to this bakery, Back to Eden, with a friend named Kerry and I got the pumpkin pie and cake, and I wanted it again. Back to Eden sells all gluten free and vegan food.

The pumpkin part tastes like pumpkin pie with a little bit of cinnamon. The cream tastes like coconut ice cream and nutmeg.

I saved the rest until I got home and can get a crack at the crust. Now that I've had the crust, I would say it's a little hard, but pretty good!

I went to order my pie and I wanted to give her my business card and I was really nervous, I don't feel that brave. But when I gave her my card, she was very excited that I have my own blog, so then I felt proud.