Celebration GIVEAWAY: Making Herbs SIMPLE DVD (Vol. 1)

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Well! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is looking forward to a great New Year!

Now, I was planning to post the 3rd Celebration Giveaway this past Sunday or yesterday, but we got knocked down to 24 hour dial-up after using up our limit with all the skyping we did with the grandparents  ;o)

BUT... better late then never!

So, the giveaway...

To FIVE winners, I am giving away 1 copy of Making Herbs SIMPLE DVD!

I really enjoyed this video and like how simply Shoshanna taught, step-by-step, on how to find, wash, dry and store herbs. She also teaches the hands-on steps of making poultices, tinctures and more!


When I first started watching the DVD... my 5 year old daughter, Naomi, came over and watched it with me and enjoyed it so much that she wanted to watch it again! Like the title says... it is so simple that my daughter is able to understand and thoroughly enjoy how God made all these amazing herbs (that are often considered weeds) to bring healing to our bodies. She even talked to me afterwards and pretty much explained what each herb is, the benefits and how to use them. I LOVED that! The video didn't have closed caption, so it was great to hear Naomi sum it all up like a pro and made sure that I understood what Shoshanna was saying! LOL!


So, if you are looking for a good instructional video on herbs for your child's homeschooling program or just to teach them in your own time... this is the one for you! Funny, captivating and simple... your kids will enjoy learning how to find and using herbs to improve their health!

Now, I have to talk about Bulk Herb Store.

I love their products, the prices and quality!

I made my own pregnancy tea using their herbs and the taste was delicious. I'll have to share with you my recipe... soon I hope!

Since we don't drink coffee in this family... we like to drink a lot of tea around here! I am a die-hard fan of Rooibos Tea and I like it just the way it is... no raw honey! I've learned to appreciate its earthy, rustic flavors. Of course, there are some days where I just need a little sweetness to my tea  ;o)

You can see that I have banners on my blog supporting BHS. If you are considering making some purchases... please use my links. I will get a small commission for each purchase and it is no extra cost to you! Thank you for your support!

Now, let's get to the giveaway... shall we?

How to Enter

Just leave a comment below sharing your favorite herb, tea or herbal remedy! (1 entry)

To maximize your odds of winning, you can leave a comment every day! (one comment per day strictly enforced)

4 bonus entries:

'Like' Bulk Herb Store on Facebook (1 entry)

'Like' Shoshanna on Facebook (1 entry)

'Like' Just Making Noise on Babble (1 entry)

Follow Just Making Noise via emails or RSS feed (1 entry)

So, you can have a total of 5 entries today and one everyday until December 31st January 14th! This giveaway is only open to US residents and the winners will be selected via random.org at the end of this month. Winner will be contacted in January.

PLEASE include your email in each entry to leave for me to contact you. Thank you!

Also, don't forget you can purchase Just Making Ice Cream for a suggested donation of $8 through this month! That is $4 off the original suggested donation.

Have a great New Year!!

Sourdough Journel #12: Delicious Sourdough Cookies

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Have you checked out the great deals at GNOWFGLINS? With any of your purchases of classes, menus, ebooks and videos... you will get up to 5 free thank you videos (value $10!).

THROUGH NEW YEAR'S DAY (Monday 11/28/11 at 10pm thru 1/1/12) you can get:

   • Any 5 thank you videos with a yearly subscription

   • Any 2 thank you videos with a monthly recurring subscription

   • Any 1 thank you video with a single month subscription

I seriously can't say enough good things about Wardeh's wonderful e-courses! They have been so simple and easy to follow. So fun, too! Thank you Wardee!!!

So... 


I mentioned two weeks ago that I have TWO different cookie recipe to share with you all. I am hooked on making my cookies with sourdough now!


I love it because I can now serve cookies knowing that they are much healthier and we don't feel sick after eating a cookie or two.


For a long time I've made our family favorite - Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies - and they were healthy, for the most part... except the oatmeal part. I find that when I don't soak our oatmeal... we feel pretty yucky afterwards. Especially if we eat too much of it, which is hard not to because they are so good!


So, when I learned that I could change my recipe a little and add in the sourdough into the dough to help break down the oatmeal... I was all for trying it out!


Our first batch was gone in one night.


I kid you not!


Yeah, it was so good with some fresh milk and we didn't have that ache in our stomaches after having one too many cookies. Yeaaaa!

Stuffed Oatmeal Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 - 1 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (sometimes I throw in 3 cups!)
1-2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1-2 cups dried fruit (optional)


In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.


In a small bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt,  optional cinnamon and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in your chocolate chips, nuts, coconut flakes and optional dried fruit. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.


Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Next I wanted to make some unique sourdough cookies for a Thanksgiving Potluck that we were invited to go. We met a lot of missionaries and made some new friends.


It was a little too crazy and loud for me, but I was glad to see that people were enjoying my cookies! I made them pan-style so I didn't have to spend hours laboring over every drop of dough and cookie to make enough for 80+ people  ;o)


I started off following the recipe from the Sourdough eCourse for Molasses Ginger cookies, but then realized I didn't have molasses. So, I used honey instead and started changing up the recipe from there.


The final touch was the orange zest... oh my sweet goodness! I actually threw that in there in the last minute because I felt that it needed something.


Wish I had a picture because they looked pretty & yummy!

Cranberry Orange Spice Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)

1-2 cups oatmeal

scant 1/4 cup raw honey

1/2 - 3/4 cup rapadura or coconut sugar

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cloves

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger
1-2 Tbsp orange zest (I used a whole orange's worth of zest!)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 cups dried cranberries, chopped
1-2 cups walnuts, chopped

In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the honey, eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in cranberries and walnuts. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Have a beautiful Christmas everyone!


PS- don't forget to enter for a chance to win some fabulous cookbooks (check it out here & here)!!

Candied Orange Spice Peels

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Since last week I've been going through several pounds (at least 30 lbs, if not more!) of oranges... washing, cutting, peeling, slicing and blending.

My kitchen has been full of sunshine and wonderful smells of delicious oranges! Yummm!

Can't get enough of the smells and beautiful colors, but I've had enough of all that work! LOL! 


You may be wondering when I'm going to get to the point. Right?


Well, we have several citrus trees giving us more than enough oranges and I was wondering what to do with it all! Especially the peels. One day I was browsing through my Facebook and saw one of my friends posted that she was making candied orange peels. Of course, that grabbed my attention.


Candied orange peels?! Honestly, never heard of that!


I quickly googled for a recipe and found one at use real butter (Beautiful photography!). Honestly, I was very surprised to find out that making candied peels is so easy... just a little time consuming  ;o)


Seriously, the work was well worth it... for Christmas we will be giving away small bags of these treats to all our Honduran neighbors & friends, the kids we work with and missionaries we know. I've already had a few kids taste the candied peels and they LOVE them!

While I was waiting for the raw sugar water to get hot... a great idea popped into my head. I  threw in some cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and chunks of ginger to bring about a spicy flavor. Success! Delicious, warm spices drifted up to my nose... oh yum!


After pouring the peels in and simmering them for forever... they came out golden, glazed and sticky. Dropped them in a pan of cane sugar and they separated beautifully. 

When Jon took his first bite of the sugar covered peel... he said the texture and flavor reminded him of those old classic sugar-crusted gumdrops!

I rolled some batches with cane sugar and some without. I am thinking the ones without the sugar crust would be fabulous in some oatmeal cookies. Hmmm, maybe I'll have a recipe coming on that idea!

I made my first batch for a Christmas party for the missionary women. They were a hit! I put the orange peels in small plastic bags and tied them up with a cute ribbon along with the recipe & suggestions... simple and easy. I would rather packet the orange peels in parchment paper or glass jars, but I am in a country where those are not easily found and often expensive. Boohoo. At least they looked cute in the plastic bags!


I am doing the same when passing them out to our Honduran neighbors and kids. I put on different tags that say, "Feliz Navidad!! Bendiciones! Familia de Jon & Marillyn Beard".


Can you believe how much I've made?! LOL! Next year I would like to plan ahead and have some girls help me.

Wish the picture of the gift bag looked a little better, but its good enough and you get the idea!


So, after all that glorious work.... I was left with 6 1/2 quarts of dark, dark brown, orange flavored syrupy sweetness! So, now I have plans for those!! Caramel popcorn, granola, candied nuts, hot chocolate, pancakes and more.


*Sigh*

Candied Orange Spice Peels

4 oranges (or any thick skinned citrus fruit)
3 cups sugar (rapadura, coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar)
1 cup water
1-2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
5-10 whole cloves (optinoal)
1 chunk of ginger (optional)
cane sugar for rolling


Quarter oranges into wedges. Carefully slice or peel the flesh away from the orange peels (I generally don’t like to remove too much pith, only if it is really thick). Slice the peel of each wedge lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.


Place peels in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Heat on high until water comes to a boil. Pour off the water. Repeat two more times.


Meanwhile, mix 1 cup water with 3 cups of sugar in a large saucepan or pot. Add optional spices. Bring to boil over high heat until temps reaches about 230F. Stir it to make sure sugar is dissolved. Add peels and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until peels are translucent (30 minutes or longer - about 50 mintues at my 6,500 ft. elevation). You will want to stir the peels every so often.


Drain peels in a colander (catch all the syrup in a bowl!). Add sugar into a deep, wide bowl. Use tongs to move peels into the bowl and roll in sugar, if desired. Set on a rack or wax covered cookie sheet to dry for 4-5 hours OR 2 days (best results). I put my peels in my dehydrator and set it on low heat (95-115F). They came out great!


You can now eat the candied peels! If you won’t be eating them within a week, store them packed in sugar in an airtight container.


Suggestions:

• Don't throw out the sugar! Use it to sweeten your morning coffee or drink for some yummy orange-flavored sweetness.
• Chopped up your orange peels and mix it with some nuts.
• Don't throw out the syrup! Use it over your pancakes, sweeten drinks, make caramel popcorn and more.
• Instead of rolling the peels in sugar. Allow them to dry for up to 2 days and dip each peel into some dark chocolate! Allow it to harden before storing in an airtight container.

Don't forget you can order Just Making Ice Cream ebook for $8 through this month! Also, enter for chances to win gluten-free & savory cookbooks!!


Have a wonderful Christmas!

DPP 2011 > Help Us Help Them

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It isn't easy to catch a beautiful smile like that with these kids.


Most are so solemn... life is hard for many of them.


But when they come here to RO4Y, they are able to forget for a while and just be kids... silly, goofy and laughing. There is so much peace here and they can feel it!


I know a real smile when I see one... it lights up their eyes.


Like Diana, up there.


She has a hard life... Dad is alcoholic and can't keep a job. Both Mom and Dad can't read. They live very simply on beans, rice and corn tortillas.


Thankfully, Diana has chosen to learn to read and write. She has chosen to come to RO4Y. It seems that she wants to choose a better life and learn more about Jesus.


Help us help her.


We want to help with her spiritual needs and physical needs. We want to do that for every kid that comes here as much as possible!


For Christmas, we are planning to put together food baskets and give them out has gifts to the families of the kids we work with. For $25 we can give a family a basket of wholesome food that will last them anywhere from 2 days to a week... depending on how many people are in the family.


Would you like to help us?

DPP 2011 > CrockPot Christmas Potpourri

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I LOVE Christmas Potpourri.


It makes the house smell festive and delicious!


Since I was a little girl... every year my Mommo would throw together a pot of water or apple juice, fresh oranges, apples, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg and let it simmer 24/7. She would keep refilling the pot with water or apple juice and change out the fruits about once a week when they would get so mushy.


The house would smell simply HEAVENLY from Thanksgiving till just past New Year!


With all the oranges that we've been picking off our trees and cutting them up for different things... all the smells from the oranges brought back to memory of that delicious potpourri that my mama used to make every year.


It got me thinking, "Why haven't I done that in my home?"


Well, I couldn't use my gas stove for 2 reasons... 1) I need all the burners for all the home cooking I do daily and 2) the gas burns too hot, that I couldn't leave it with fear that it would burn up to smoke (ugh).


Then I thought, "What about my crockpot? Perfect!"


So, I've been "simmering" my homemade Christmas Potpourri on high throughout the day without the lid on. I just LOVE coming into my house after working outside and taking a deep breath of delicious cinnamon-y orange fragrance.


Here's my simple recipe:

• Oranges, sliced
• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole Cloves
• Nutmeg (I used the old chunks after grating them)
• Water

Throw everything in your crockpot. Cover with water and set it on high. Add in water as the level drops below the oranges. Change out the fruit about once a week.

Also, you can add in sliced apples... I didn't because I didn't have any and they are kinda pricey here. Not worth it to me.


I've also seen people put in bay leaves... hmmm. Maybe I'll try that.

NOTE: A small crockpot would be ideal, but if you don't have one... you can always shop on craigslist or garage sales!

I think I might play around with the recipe and try adding pineapple! Going for the tropical Christmas smells  ;o)


Tell me, what kind of potpourri do you like? What would you add in?

DPP > Dog Love

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We love our Danes... they are the Gentle Giants! Here is Tobi riding Daisy like a horse. I don't know how many times people have suggested that we should buy a small saddle for our Danes and train them to give "rides" around the yard. Like that would ever happen! LOL!!

DPP > Happy Birthday Tobias!

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Happy Birthday little man!


Here he is... eating a banana cupcake made with coconut flour and sweetened with bananas, stevia & dates. So simple & good! The recipe came from Elana's Gluten-Free Cupcakes. The only thing that was missing was whipping cream... didn't have enough cream to make any, BUT I made homemade ice cream (maple cinnamon), of course!   ;o)


He LOVED his cupcake, but found the ice cream too cold. LOL!


I know I said I would share the birth story today, but it was a full day for me and I ran out of time.  So, l'll have to do it later! Thanks for your patience!

Celebration GIVEAWAY: Bones & Fat Cookbooks

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Well, today we are celebrating my little man's birthday! I know every mom says this, but... I seriously can not believe he is already 1 year old. Time just flies faster and faster with each kid!

It is my goal to share the birth story later today in honor of Tobias' birthday. I have to tell you! It is an amazing story of faith, trust and... well, I get to that later  :o)


Before I get to the giveaway... let me share a few highlights of Tobias' first year of life.


Everybody fell in love with this little guy... my girls are especially crazy about him. How can they not be?! I am SO grateful that there has been no jealousy issues between my girls and this little guy. None at all.


He has proven to be a very strong-will little guy... my third strong-will child *sigh*. Life is sure very loud and noisy in the Beard household! All 3 of my kids have very strong spirits and lungs. People often ask me if it is hard for me to hear them... my answer is always, "Ha! No, God has blessed me with very loud children. If I think they are loud... can't imagine how loud they are to you!"

He began to crawl around 9 months old, but started walking before he was 10 months old! He loves following my girls around and doesn't let them push him around. Almost everyday I often see him do things and say, "He is SUCH a BOY!". Seriously, after having two girls... I am amazed just how different Tobi is and it sometimes feels like he is my first child.


Tobi has had more bumps, bruises & cuts on his head and face then both my girls combined when they were babies! Thankfully he isn't much of a crier and gets right back in the action after a few minutes in mama's arms  ;o)


It has been an awesome year with this little man and I am so blessed! Thank you Lord! Happy Birthday Tobias!


Now, the second giveaway!

To one winner, I am giving away 2 delicious & savory cookbooks:

 

These two cookbooks are deliciously amazing... just reading through the recipes and look at the pictures make me feel nourished and well-fed! LOL!

Jennifer McLagan has done a wonderful job of explaining everything you need to know to appreciate the benefits of eating wholesome bones and fat. I love her witty sense of humor thrown in at just the right places. You can read Jennifer's bio here.

These two books are vital in my kitchen these days! I just love how there is so much you can learn and do with just bones and fat.... and still thrive in good health. Here's a simple write up on Fat cookbook (taken from Amazon.com): 

For all of history, minus the last thirty years, fat has been at the center of human diets and cultures. When scientists theorized a link between saturated fat and heart disease, industry, media, and government joined forces to label fat a greasy killer, best avoided. But according to Jennifer McLagan, not only is our fat phobia overwrought, it also hasn’t benefited us in any way. Instead it has driven us into the arms of trans fats and refined carbohydrates, and fostered punitive, dreary attitudes toward food–that wellspring of life and pleasure.


In Fat, McLagan sets out with equal parts passion, scholarship, and appetite to win us back to a healthy relationship with animal fats. She starts by defusing fat’s bad rap, both reminding us of what we already know–that fat is fundamental to the flavor of our food–and enlightening us with the many ways fat (yes, even animal fat) is indispensable to our health.


Mostly, though, Fat is about pleasures–the satisfactions of handling good ingredients skillfully, learning the cultural associations of these primal foodstuffs, recollecting and creating personal memories of beloved dishes, and gratifying the palate and the soul with fat’s irreplaceable savor. Fat lavishes the reader with more than 100 recipes from simple to intricate, classic to contemporary, including:


• Butter-Poached Scallops • Homemade Butter • Carnitas • Duck Confit • Sautéed Foie Gras with Gingered Vanilla Quince • Prosciutto-Wrapped Halibut with Sage Butter • Steak and Kidney Pie • Lamb Fat and Spinach Chapati • Bacon Spice • Cookies • Salted Butter Tart 


Observing that though we now know everything about olive oil, we may not know what to do with lard or bone marrow, McLagan offers extensive guidance on sourcing, rendering, flavoring, using, and storing animal fats, whether butter or bacon, schmaltz or suet. Stories, lore, quotations, and tips touching on fat’s place in the kitchen and in the larger culture round out this rich and unapologetic celebration of food at its very best.

The one thing I learned from her Fat cookbook is chicken fat is delicious used for frying up corn tortillas! Oh my!


Next is the Bones cookbook (again, taken from Amazon.com):

Top food stylist and food writer Jennifer McLagan has a bone to pick: too often, people opt for boneless chicken breasts, fish fillets, and cutlets, when good cooks know that anything cooked on the bone has more flavor -- from chicken or spareribs to a rib roast or a whole fish. In Bones, Jennifer offers a collection of recipes for cooking beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, and game on their bones.


Chicken, steak, and fish all taste better when cooked on the bone, but we've sacrificed flavor for speed and convenience, forgetting how bones can enhance the taste, texture, and presentation of good food -- think of rack of lamb, T-bone steak, chicken noodle soup, and baked ham. In her simple, bare-bones style, Jennifer teaches home cooks the secrets to cooking with bones.


Each chapter of Bones includes stocks, soups, ribs, legs, and extremities (except for whole fish -- they don't have any). Many of the recipes are simple, with the inherent flavors of the bones doing most of the work. There are traditional, elegant dishes, such as Roasted Marrow Bones with Parsley Salad, Olive-Crusted Lamb Racks, and Crown Roast of Pork, as well as new takes on homestyle favorites, such as Maple Tomato Glazed Ribs, Coconut Chicken Curry, and Halibut Steaks with Orange Cream Sauce. Stunning, full-color photographs of dishes like Rabbit in Saffron Sauce with Spring Vegetables; Grilled Quail with Sage Butter; and Duck Legs with Cumin, Turnips, and Green Olives are sure to inspire. 


In addition to the recipes, Bones includes a wealth of information on a wide range of bone-related topics, including the differences among cuts of meat, as well as the history and lore of bones.


Pretty awesome, huh? Now, she recently released a new cookbook called "Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal". I've got my eye on that and will most likely get a copy soon!


The one think I've grown to appreciate about living in Central America is how much people here appreciate the WHOLE animal. They use everything! Tongue, stomach, heart, hoof, head, tail and so on. I love grinding heart in with my ground beef... adds such a nice flavor. Oh and tongue is simply delicious... once you get past the weird feeling that you are "french kissing" the cow. LOL!! Using calf's hoof in my homemade beef broth has made a big difference in flavor... so rich!


There are a few butchers in the town next to us that often hang a whole cow in their station and will not close down until every piece of that cow has sold. Nothing goes to waste... talk about being frugal and smart!


How to Enter

Just leave a comment below sharing your favorite Christmas memory! (1 entry)

To maximize your odds of winning, you can leave a comment every day! (one comment per day strictly enforced)

3 bonus entries:

Follow Jennifer's blog (1 entry)

Follow my blog (1 entry)

'Like' Just Making Noise on Babble (1 entry)

So, you can have a total of 4 entries today and one everyday until December 31st January 14th! This giveaway is only open to US residents and the winner will be selected via random.org at the end of this month. Winner will be contacted in January.

Also, don't forget you can purchase Just Making Ice Cream for a suggested donation of $8 through this month! That is $4 off the original suggested donation.

DPP 2011 > Orange Fest!

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A few days ago we had a huge bag of oranges harvested right off our citrus trees and I've been wanting to make candied orange peels as gifts for our neighbors and for a cookie party that I am hoping to go to... I will get to meet more missionary women and hopefully make a friend or two!


So, today we basically had an orange festival! Washing, cutting and peeling... but we only got half way through the bag! That's a lot of oranges! I am thinking I will zest the rest of them and dried the orange zest out. Great to have a jar of dried orange zest when you need it.


I will hopefully post a recipe for candied orange peels using raw sugar... SO easy! Great for those of you who have citrus trees giving too many oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit. Yep, you can use any peel of a citrus fruit to be candied... just make sure the skins aren't too thin or they will turn leathery after being candied. Not appealing.


What did I do with all the juicy, fleshly part of the oranges? Made fresh juice, of course!


Pictures from DDP 2009

Celebration GIVEAWAY: Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free and Gluten-Free Cupcakes

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Today is the first celebration giveaway for the month!


We are celebrating my mom's birthday today. I wish I could be at her house right now, whipping up a batch of cupcakes using coconut flour from Elana's awesome cookbook. I would probably make either the German Chocolate Cupcakes (already made this once for her.. so GOOD! This recipe actually inspired me to make an ice cream version) or Red Velvet Cupcakes or Cookie Surprise Cupcakes or... there's so many good recipes!

Before I get into the giveaway... let me tell you about my mom.


She is a beautiful woman of strong character and a generous giving heart. The Lord has given her many skills and gifts... music, writing and teaching being her three strongest skills/gifts. She has wrote many songs that the Lord has given her to bless those around her. I hope one day these songs will be sung to the world and I'm sure it will... if not here in this world, then for sure in heaven!


My mom has gone through a lot of pain since she was a child, but God is bringing her through a time of healing that is hard, yet amazing to watch.


Often, when I look at her and all that she's been through... I see that she is a beautiful mess that God is lovely and patiently cleaning through.


I've watched her live her life of daily renewing her mind and choosing to believe in God's grace & mercy through everything... God has taught me so much through her!


Even though she is imperfect in so many ways. She is a woman of integrity, faith and prayer... that's what makes her so beautiful. I love you & Happy Birthday Mommo!


Now, the giveaway!


To one winner, I am giving away 2 gluten-free books:

Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free contains over 180 recipes, 140 of which have never been published on Amy's blog, Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free. Her mouth-watering recipes can be made in 20 minutes or less... that's nice for those of you who lead busy lives! Here's a short bio about Amy:

Amy started the popular food blog Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free in May 2008 to share her passion for healthy living. She has abstained from refined sugars and wheat since 2004 and, as a result, is maintaining a 60-plus pound weight loss. Over the years, Amy has learned that eating healthier doesn’t equal deprivation.


In 2012, Amy is launching Nourished (with Jen Cafferty), the first gluten-free and allergen-friendly food blogger conference. Attendees will be able to learn and share with along with other professionals in their field.


In addition to owning a small business, Amy teaches local sugar-free, gluten-free cooking classes. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Education, both from The Ohio State University. Amy has also studied Baking & Pastry Arts at The Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Education at Collin College and spent many years working both the front and back of the house in restaurants. Previously, Amy taught elementary school and owned one of the premier pet care companies in the North Dallas area. She lives with her husband and four dogs in Dallas, Texas. If you are interested, you can read more about her here.

You all know how much I love baking with coconut flour. When I first learned that Elana was writing another cookbook using coconut flour... I was already in line to get my copy! Gluten-Free Cupcakes has beautiful photography and delicious recipes that are simple to make, yet look so elegant!

This fabulous book features:

• 50 gluten free recipes for cupcakes and savory treats
• 14 recipes for frostings, fillings and toppings
• 25 cupcake recipes that use coconut flour
• 9 cupcake recipes that use almond flour
• 4 flourless cupcake recipes
• 12 cupcake recipes that use both almond flour and coconut flour
• 41 dairy free cupcake recipes
• 8 dairy free frostings, fillings and toppings
• 5 vegan frostings, fillings and toppings
• 38 nut free recipes
• 10 cupcake recipes that use arrowroot powder 

If you are interested in more information, please read here. Like I said earlier, I've already tried her recipe for German Chocolate Cupcakes and they were simply luscious! Next I want to try the Cookie Surprise Cupcakes... oooh yummy. The only downside is not being able to get almond flour. So, I will have to compromise a little  ;o)

How to Enter

Just leave a comment below on what you did today! (1 entry)

To maximize your odds of winning, you can leave a comment every day! (one comment per day strictly enforced)

3 bonus entries:

Follow Amy's blog Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free (1 entry)

Follow Elana's blog Elana's Pantry (1 entry)

'Like' Just Making Noise on Babble (1 entry)

So, you can have a total of 4 entries today and one everyday until December 31st January 14th! This giveaway is only open to US residents and the winner will be selected via random.org at the end of this month. Winner will be contacted in January.

Also, don't forget you can purchase Just Making Ice Cream for a suggested donation of $8 through this month! That is $4 off the original suggested donation.