Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Bread

A moist and tender tea bread that tastes like pumpkin pie.

Happy Fall! Here's a weekend recipe from the archives- a moist, gluten-free pumpkin bread you can bake in a bread machine- or your oven.

This is a big week. Huge. Never mind The Canyon premiere. Forget the post screening parties at Cafe Was and the Palihouse (where the valet parked the only Honda Fit of the night- I'm guessing). Forget hanging out in Hollywood with Yvonne Strahovski. Mark Williams. We're talking major excitement. Glamor. Dreams come true. That's right.

We're unpacking our relocation cube.

But wait. There is more to the story, truth be told. There is a subplot with a third act twist. There is, um. Titillation. Desire. Longing. By your intrepid Goddess. No, Babycakes. Not longing for fame. Or glitz. Or girly-girl anything. I'm not that kind of Goddess (Botox and bling isn't on my radar). Nope.

So what is this obscure object of desire?

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Wags 'n Whiskers - Diamonds and Pearls

WooHoo!! Happy Friday everyone!! It's time for a new Wags 'n Whiskers challenge, and this weeks challenge is Diamonds and Pearls from the lovely and talented Emma. I chose to use this gorgeous image called "Say a Prayer", and I just adore her for those really special cards when someone is having a tough time.  She's colored with Copic markers and cut out and popped up off the Nestabilities circle.

You might think I cheated a little bit cause the "diamond" part of my card is the Diamond Stickles I used on her wings. :0)  And of course I used Kaiser half backed pearls, some pretty lace and May Arts silk ribbon for the bow. cardstock is Bazzill and printed paper is digital from Bearly Mine. The seniment is just computer generated. Copics used are listed below. We'd love it if you joined us in the challenge over at Wags 'n Whiskers, but remember you must use a Wags 'n Whiskers image in order to win! Also, please be sure to visit my sister Divas blogs to see their amazing creations with Diamonds and Pearls!

Chris, Tracy, Michele, Karen, Angelique, Tina, Jeanette, Debbie, Melanie, Louise, Crystal, Emma, Kristen, Vicky, Lacey, and Nikki

Copics:  dress B0000, 91, and 95   skin: E11 and 00,  hair: E97, 99, and 17;  around the white W1 and 2

Thanks for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! hugs!

A few more pages of the Disney Scrapbook

Posing with Nemo

I am going to share a few more pages from the Garland's Disney album.  I gave the album to Ruth yesterday and she seemed to really, really like it.  In fact, she said it made her want to go back again - soon!  I shouldn't admit it, but it had the same effect on me!!  :-)

Smooching at Epcot and posing with Pooh and company.

I am not sure if you can see what the Garlands are wearing - they each have on a Disney hockey sweater.  Bill is wearing the Grumpy Miners.... Hence the cute saying in the lower left corner, "I'm Grumpy... What's your excuse?"

The weather was all over the place during our week in Orlando.  The first half of the week was cold and windy, but the last two days were hot.  It was fun, but crazy. 

This is my favorite layout in the book:  Nice Ears!  The last day Bill and Ruth finally bought the required Disney ears, complete with names.  They were very cute!  

Tomorrow we will officially leave the happiest place on earth and head back to seasonal scrapping!

"So, just how long is it going to take me to make and decorate cookies?"

"So, just how long is it going to take me to make and decorate cookies?"   The short answer is...it depends.  It depends on how many you're making, of course, and how many colors of icing you are using, and how detailed the cookie design is, and how you are packaging them. Whew.

But, let me try to give you a rough idea. Let's go with 2 batches of cookies because if you're going to take the time to make them, you might as well make more than one.

First, the cookies.  Using this cookie dough recipe, plan on about 1 hour per batch.  With a 4.5" cookie cutter, you'll have around 12 cookies.  I bake mine 6 at a time, since I have a single oven.  I could do 2 sheets and rotate the them during baking, but I am usually too distracted by twitter getting in some housework (ha!) and forget to rotate.

Cookies (two batches)....2 hours
Cookies (cool completely)...1 hour

Next, the icing.  I use royal icing.  It's just as quick to make a double batch as it is to make a single.  I usually double my recipe just to ensure I have enough.  To make the icing and tint it, assuming you're making more than 2 colors, takes about 45 minutes.

Icing....45 minutes

Decorating the cookies. This is a little difficult to estimate and you'll have some down time here.  Assuming you have 24-30 cookies, you'll need to prep your icing bag and outline your cookies.  For a simple outline, allow 30 minutes.

Outlining....30 minutes

Next, you'll want to "flood" the cookies with thinned icing.  For me, thinning takes a while because I add water just a bit at a time.  You'll need to thin the icing, let it sit, stir, then flood.

Flood icing (thin)....15 minutes

Flood Icing (rest)....10 minutes

Flood icing (fill)......45 minutes

Usually, you'll have some sort of detail to add to the cookies.  First, the filled cookies need to "rest" for an hour or so before the next step.


Rest....1 hour

Finally, the detail work.  You may be adding sanding sugar, sprinkles, luster dust, extra piping, or all of the above, so this really varies.  Assuming the detail is a bit of simple piping on each cookie, allow at least a minute per cookie.

Detail.....30 minutes

Then, let them dry overnight.

Dry.....overnight

***This does NOT include clean-up time!***

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So, for about 2 dozen, simply decorated cookies, I would allow 5 hours of baking/decorating with 2 hours and 10 minutes plus overnight of inactive/rest time. (Did I add that right?) But, remember, it depends! :) 

{In other words, don't start a cookie decorating project at 8pm the night before you need them.}

My advice....make the cookies a day ahead.  Even two days.  Even more than that and freeze them.  Yes, they freeze...even fully decorated.

Another hint, royal icing can be made ahead of time, too.  The icing will not be as stiff the next day, so if you have fine detail work to do, you may want to make it the same day.  Otherwise, it's fine.

I love this post from my friend Gail of One Tough Cookie...here's a little nugget of wisdom from her blog: "No matter how much time you allow for decorating the cookies, allow more."    See, she's smart and CRAZY TALENTED!

That's what works for me.  Do you have any hints for timing your cookie decorating?

My Favorite Gluten-Free Autumn Recipes

It's that time of year again. Fall is for baking.

Celebrate Autumn!

Welcome to my favorite autumn recipes- my collection of gluten-free comfort food for the fall season. From harvest inspired appetizers to cinnamon laced baked goodies, from pumpkin soups to cozy casseroles, flavors are warm and inviting. Perfect for cool, clear days and early nightfall. So take your inner domestic goddess by the hand. Grab your apron. Rustle up your favorite ingredients. Turn on your oven and fill your kitchen with the scents of apple, cranberry, pumpkin, butternut, maple, nutmeg and curry.

{For readers Down Under, here are my Favorite Spring recipes}

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Papertake Weekly - Animal Magic

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's time for a new Papertake weekly challenge, and this week the challenge is Animal Magic! So either use the image of an animal, an animal print, or even something about an animal in your sentiment! We're being sponsored by the fabulous Wendy from Digital Delights by Louby Loo.  For my card, I chose to use the adorable Dilly Duck with Ladybug colored with Copic markers.

The flowers were cut with my Cricut Expression and the good old George and Basic Shapes cartridge from Hallmark Scrapbook. Cardstock is Bazzill, DP is digital from Nitwits, and the fabulous ribbon is May Arts from Stamp and Create. Please be sure and visit Papertake Weekly to see the rest of the fabulous creations by my DT sisters, then grab your paper and glue and play along with us! You might get lucky and win a fabulous prize from Digital Delights! Thanks for stopping by to see me today and hope to see you back again soon! Hugs!

Guess What I finished? Disney for the Garlands

 Title Page

One of my biggest accomplishments over the weekend (when I was away at the lake for a girls scrapping weekend) was I managed to complete the Disney album on which I have been working. Our friends the Garlands went to Disney with our family FOUR YEARS ago and had not done a thing with their photos.  I decided for their birthday gifts to scrap some of their Disney photos.

MGM Studios

Mr. Garland smuggled the Disney DVD to me and I printed photos.  Since then I have been chugging along on Disney.  The final book contains 24 pages, but really it could have been much larger.  But at least they will have a nice overview of their trip.  (Click on any photo to see the image larger).

@MGM for the evening with Mrs. Incredible and the dancing Christmas light show

Since I have already shared some parts of the album with you I will not share all of the pages.  However, I will share a few layouts over the next few days.

Aerosmith Rockin' Roller Coaster