Bell Family Blog

David really enjoys Thomas the Tank Engine and all his friends.  Recently, his Grandmother made some PJ’s for him. Here is him saying “Thank you, Grandma.”

 

 David's Thank You: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Makes one 9×13, two 8 inch rounds, or one bundt pan.

• 1 1/3C Water
• 2/3c Cocoa Powder
• 1 2/3c sugar
• 2/3c Crisco
• 3 Eggs
• 2c Bell GF Flour Mix
• 2t Xantham Gum
• 1/3t Baking Powder
• 1 1/4t Baking Soda
• 1 t Salt
• 1 t Vanilla

1. Mix Water and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Cream sugar and Crisco
3. Beat in eggs until batter looks lighter
4. Add Vanilla
5. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt to mixture. Beat until combined.
6. Pour into pre-greased pan of your choice.
7. Bake at 350F for about 40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean)

Makes around a dozen donuts, plus a few donut holes

• 2 c Bell GF Flour Mix
• 1 t xantham gum
• 3/8 t Salt
• 1/8 t Baking Soda
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 c Sugar
• 2 T Oil
• 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1/2 c Buttermilk

1. Mix Dry ingredients, except sugar. Set aside
2. In a seperate large bowl, cream sugar and eggs
3. Add oil and vanilla
4. Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients
5. Roll our to about a thikness of half an inch.
6. cut out using a doughnut cutter
7. Fry in 350F oil for about a minute, then flip for another
8. Dry on paper towels and top with desired toppings

Tips

Use chopsticks to flip the donuts.

This recipe has been halfed, so feel free to double it.

If you don’t own a donut cutter, use to different sized glasses to pounch them out.

Toppings: cinnamon sugar, chocolate frosting, powdered sugar

Makes 8 brownies

• 2 eggs
• 1c sugar
• 1/2t salt
• 1t Vanilla
• 1/2c butter, melted (1 stick)
• 3/4c rice flour
• 1/2c baking cocoa
• 1/2c nuts (optional)
• 1 chopped chocolate bar (optional)

1. Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt
2. Add butter till well mixed
3. Add flour, cocoa
4. Put into greased 8×8 pan
5. Sprinkle optional ingredients on top
6. Microwave 5-6 minutes

Tips

Line the pan with parchement paper and let it cool for sevearl hours before enjoying.

Sift cocoa powder before measuring.

Source

Recipezaar #86139 Has a mint icing recipe.

Makes about 8 biscuits

• 1c Bell GF Flour Mix
• 1/2c Potato Starch
• 1T other (amaranth, bean, anything you have on hand)
• 2t Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 t xanthan gum
• 1/2t Salt
• 1/4c Shortening (crisco is what I use)
• 1/2c Milk
• 1 egg

1. Dump everything into a food processor and pulse until combined
2. Dust a surface with rice flour
3. Flatten dough about 1/2inch onto pre-floured surface (If you like to be able to split with a fork, fold dough in half a few times before cutting)
4. Cut with biscuit cutter.
5. Collect dough and repeat until done.
6. Bake in a 350 F oven for 12-15 minutes

Tips

For easy clean up put a piece of plastic wrap on top of the food processor bowl before placing the top on. Also use parchement paper to flatten dough for easy clean up. Save leftover dough to make biscuit toppings on stews and casseroles.

In mid May we visited the Denver Aquarium.  This was David’s second trip there.  His first was back around his first birthday.  This time the highlights of the trip came from watching him race around the first tanks there saying “FISH!!”, seeing him chase a tiger back and forth, and playing in bubbles.

Below are a few videos.

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 Flash Video: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The other day, we found some wooden train tracks for David.  He’s loved playing with them since he was introduced back at Christmas.  The set we now have is huge. It fills up a large bucket.  I’m thinking it’s more than I had as a child.

Anyways, we were hoping to set it a small part of it on his train table while he slept, but he found it and had to start playing with it.  Now our living room is full of train pieces. For a 29 month old he does  good job of creating a track.  Most of the time he can put the pieces together by himself, but occasionally he needs Dad’s help.

We also grabbed a video of him building his set.

 

 David building a train track: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Makes 3 cups of flour

• 1c White Rice Flour
• 1c Brown Rice Flour
• 3/4c Tapioca Starch
• 3T Amaranth

1. Measure all flours together and mix

Tips

You can substitute Amaranth for another flour you have on hand. Including rice and tapioca.  I have come to like using ground up qunioa flakes.

I’ve uploaded some pictures of our trip to San Francisco last week. Enjoy them.

Here’s the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/larryboy307/Sanfran09#

I have just uploaded two new recipes. The first is for Chocolate Cake. The other is donuts.

Pictured is half a Chocolate Cake.

Follow the above links or click on the recipe link on the left side.

Enjoy eating.