Gluten Free Baking

My Mum has some sort of wheat intolerance that means she tends to keep her gluten intake down as much as she can, she's recently said she's probably going to cut it out altogether soon. Last year, my sister was diagnosed with Celiac disease so she too, is gluten free.
We're cake people, we like to bake and eat cake (my sister likes the eating better than the baking mostly) and I particularly love baking for others so there's no question I'm going to not bake for them now, I just have to find new ways to do it.
I don't do a huge amount of experimenting in that field but I've already pretty much found that the best gluten-free recipes are recipes that are just meant to be gluten free, rather than normal recipes that have been adapted.
I have a wonderful recipe for a flourless chocolate cake that is adored by everyone who comes into contact with it, I suspect that a few of my friends only stay in touch to maintain the odds of them getting more of the cake. It's a great recipe but if it's the only option, I'm sure even it will get dull. So tonight I'm experimenting with a macaroon recipe.
My sister linked me to it some time ago, a colleague at work had made them and she'd loved them but this is the first chance I've had to give it a go. First batch are done and look great, second batch, with added food colouring, is in now.
Ah dammit. Just got the second batch out and they're not so good. I don't think it's been overmixed any more than the first batch but as I only had one suitable baking sheet available, the second batch waited half and hour longer than the first to go into the oven and I think too much air was lost in the waiting. Will have to find another baking sheet and do the whole lot at once I think.\

If you want to try them yourself, the recipe can found here

I used to craft

Back before Small was born, I was a craft nut. Made my own cards, knitted (poorly), embroidered, made candles, photography, bit of wood working, clothes making, the jewellery business... you name it, I dabbled in it.
When I was pregnant I started knitting a large purple blanket. It's still unfinished. Before I was pregnant I started embroidering a rather wonderful celtic-inspired loch ness monster design that would eventually become a cushion cover.
Still unfinished.
My candle making kit sits unloved in the garage and has done for since we moved in.
I've closed the jewellery business.
And so on.

I could say this is due to the pressures of being a Mummy and the lack of 'me time' now available. To some extent that is true but not in all cases. Small is generally sound asleep by 7:30pm and I don't go to bed until about 10pm, I could at least knit or embroider quite happily in that time but I don't.

I think it's mostly a fatigue thing. By the evening I'm only really in the mood for idle surfing and even idler tv watching. Knitting and embroidery, while wonderful, do rather keep hands busy that would otherwise be tapping keys and sliding around mousepads. Besides, whether it's age or fatigue or perfectly normal, the constant flittering of focus between close up needlework and midrange laptop and/or long distance tv does horrible things to my eyes. So everything just sits around, lamenting the days when they commanded my entire attention. About the only vaguely crafty thing I do now is the baking and cake decorating.

And I'm lazy, there's that too of course! I really should do something about that!

Big's Day

Today is my husband's birthday. It's been very quiet, mostly because he drove for a good ten hours yesterday and needed a good rest and a little because after the holiday we're both a little skint!

He's been gently spoiled and run around after most of the day and the only thing we went out for was a trip up to the farm shop for some good steaks for his birthday tea. He was good and expensively treated for his Father's Day and we agreed then that his birthday in exchange would be a lower-key affair.
As far as gifts go, I got him an Electric Mayhem t-shirt, the food and did him this cake -

It's chocolate underneath all the decoration and the drumsticks are real. He likes it :)

And home

Spent all day driving home. Stopped often to make the long trip easier on Small, including a couple of hours at White Horse Hill in Uffington, which is always a stunningly beautiful and very powerful place to be. I love it there and loved it especially today. No photos though, too pooped!

Hope you've all enjoyed and not been to annoyed by the last week of photo spamming :)

I really couldn't have asked for a better week. Ah, happiness and afterglow.

Day 8, last day.

Relaxed day today, Newquay and the Blue Reef aquarium then a last lazy afternoon in Perranporth, being lightly sand blasted on the rather blustery beach. Not that Small minded in the least.

Day 7 - Heligan then Towan Beach

Another fab day, last full day in Cornwall tomorrow, then drive home Saturday.

Day 6 - Padstow and Boscastle

I love Padstein, even if it is a terrible tourist trap.