Crazy and Love Struck: History of Jon and Lizzy

As many of you know, Jon and I don't have the most conventional relationship history, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Today I read through our first emails to each other and it brought back so many memories. I still get butterflies thinking about my man. Many called us crazy, and well...we were, but hey, sometimes love is a little crazy. In fact...we were flat out insane and I guarantee you if my daughter ever tries to do what we did...well, it ain't happening lol.

Now for the fun stuff :)

Skyping with Jon while it was still in Iraq

Jon and I met on match.com. YES! A DATING SITE! Now don't get all bent outta shape. Nowadays, 1 in every 6 people met their spouse online. No, I was not desperate, yes there were weirdoes that tried to hit on me, and yes...I would recommend online dating.

"Only" 6,475.05 Miles Away:
Jon was in the Army on Deployment to Iraq, and I was back home in Indiana. It wasn't easy, but it was all we knew and it was a little comforting knowing that we would have to talk in order to get to know each other...and if he was a weirdo, he was very far away. Just kidding, but in all honesty this distance is a big factor in what makes our story so unique.

Lizzy "Point A" Jon "Point B" 

A little history on the first hello...on match.com, they send you a few suggestions every day based on the things you have in common and your location. You can say yes, no, or maybe. I had been on match for a couple months and was sitting at work when I got an email with my suggestions for the day...I thumbed through them quickly looking at the profile pics, because face it, if you are not attracted to them, there is no point. (No thats not shallow, its honest) I saw this cute guy in uniform and clicked maybe, then continued on with my day...honestly I completely forgot about my "Mr. Maybe." it wasn't till I got an email from him the next day that I even looked at his profile.
I wish I still had that first email from him...but it went a little something like this. "Hi, I saw you were added to my list of interests and realized we hadn't talked." He introduced himself and then said something that gave me the impression he was looking for an extremely submissive woman. I can't for the life of me remember exactly what it said, but I do remember laughing a little bit, cause honestly, I'm stubborn...submission isn't my strong point. Long story short, I responded with an intro and a brief explanation that I wasn't the type of girl to be "bossed around, or expected to submit to everything without a good debate first." The fact that he didn't run away at that response, was a good sign that we would get along just fine.

We met on February 10, 2010 on Match, Skyped for the first time on Valentines Day 2010. Oh boy was I nervous. I went out and bought a web cam (which was horribly cheap) poor guy probably couldn't even tell what I looked like, I definitely got what I paid for. But I will never forget the first time I saw him. I just sat and stared at him, well gawked at him was more like it. I couldn't stop smiling. I don't think I said more then ten words the entire time, none of which made up a full sentence. I just sat and smiled at him while he jibber jabbered on. The next day I told him, "I promise I will start to talk more, I think I was just a little flabbergasted... You are a lot cuter than I was expecting...and I like to listen to you talk."

Lizzy (me) the first time we skyped...yes I did get up at 3a.m. (on multiple occasions) to do my hair because it was morning for him in Iraq

We talked/skyped for 114 days before we met for the first time in person.  Jon came home on leave on June 3, 2010. Meeting him for the first time at the airport felt like something out of the movies. Complete with a mid-air hug while he spun me around. I didn't want to let go, and if I had, I most definitely would have fallen over. Spinning mid-air is slightly disorienting. 

Our first picture together, little did I know, this would be the beginning of me trying to get him to take a "good" picture...unending silliness. :) 

First Kiss: WOW! Let me just say, I feel sorry for those people whose first kiss sucked. Waiting four months to see your man in person, then getting to kiss him...wow. Sparks were a-flying. (I know, I know, I'm getting all mushy gushy on ya, I told you these were facts you probably wouldn't care about.) But Im gonna share 'em anyway.

Day 2 of being together, couldn't be happier! 

3 Days later...we got married.  Not only did we get married, but it was a surprise to me. I knew we were getting married, but I didn't know any of the details...and I never would have guessed what was in store. Jon planned it all. It was wonderful. We got up early that monday morning, drove to Noblesville, climbed in a hot-air balloon, and said "I Do" at 1500 ft. right at sunrise. It was beautiful. By far, the best day of my life. 

Wedding Day after landing

Jon Never Proposed...well not officially.  Technically he asked me if I wanted to marry him the first time we skyped, I just laughed and smiled and said "sure!" Then, I was only half kidding. Two weeks after meeting on match, the subject came up again, and I knew, I wouldn't turn him down. I would seriously marry this man I hardly knew, but had already grown to love. I got the ring the day before we got married, a friend of my dads made it for us and it is perfect! I love it! Someday, maybe ill get him to get me a matching wedding band, cause frankly, we didn't have an engagement, so the engagement ring became The Ring. At the time there was no need for two rings, but now, people think I'm still engaged, and well, with a baby on the way, I want people to know Im "bought n paid for" lol. 

Getting ready to say goodbye after two wonderful weeks 

Deployment after 2 weeks of marriage. Yup, he had to go back to Iraq, we got married, had two wonderful weeks together, then he had to leave again.  Seriously, our life could be a movie...or a really good book. We knew it would be that way, we knew that he would come home for a 2 week leave, then have to return to Iraq for four more months. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't realize how quickly those two weeks would fly by. In a way, it seems like they drug on forever, but at the same time, they would never be long enough. Saying goodbye to him at the airport that day felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. We had waited four months to see each other and hold each other and now we would have to do it all over again. Only this time, we would know what it was like to actually be together in person. 

Recap: So, In case you missed it, we only knew each other for 4 months before we got married, and we had only spent 3 days together in person before we got married. Crazy? ...Yes. Would I change a single thing?....most definitely not. We are not your perfect couple. We have our problems but somehow we work it out. Some things are just meant to be. 

Update: We have been married 2 1/2 years. Jon is now out of the military and working as a software engineer on a particle accelerator. HOW COOL! I'm a stay at home wife, learning to keep my sanity while spending most hours at home...and Our first child is due in June, only 7 more months! Life is amazing...and the fun part...Our story has just begun. 



Check out Part II of our love story here!

Gluten Free Hawaiian Rolls

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill's All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 2 eggs (* or 2 Ener-G Egg replacer made according to package)
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 package yeast proofed or 2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast proofed
• 4 Tbsp margarine, melted (*or dairy free margarine)

Directions

In your kitchen aid mixer bowl, add pineapple juice, water, sugar, ginger, vanilla, melted margarine, and egg 

Start proofing your yeast

Add flour to mixture and blend until mixed. will be slightly runny

Add in yeast.  

Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.

If it is still runny Add in flour little by little till you get a dough consistency. 

Using a greased 1/2 cup, scoop out dough and place in baking dish or cast iron pan. 

Cover with loosely fitting saran wrap and place in a warmed oven.

Let rise for an hour

Preheat oven to 350'F 

Cover bread with foil and bake for 15 minutes

Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

ENJOY! 

Recipe was taken and modified from: raisingallergykids

Gluten Free Egg Rolls

I have been craving these the last few weeks, and decided to give it a go. I looked everywhere and could not find a ready-made wonton wrapper. Surprisingly they are very easy to make yourself. Even making them gluten free is a piece of cake! Depending on how long you want it to take to prepare your food, it helps to have an extra person to keep things moving... Since you have to do the wrappers and filling, luckily I was able to recruit the hubby to do the filling.

Start by cooking your meat in a large skillet. I bought the pre-cut beef (used for stews) in the meat section. You could use chicken or even go meatless.

Now, start on your Wonton Wrappers recipe. The key to these wrappers is the egg whites. When it comes to gluten free cooking, egg whites really hold it all together and keep it from getting dry and flakey.

Ingredients

• 1 cup high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour or bread mix. 

• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

• 1 extra-large egg and 1 extra-large egg white, beaten together

• 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour and xanthan gum. Add the eggs (one whole egg and one egg white) and 2 tablespoons water to the flour mixture and beat together to combine.
2. Press the mixture together with wet hands. It should stick together when pressed, and should have a smooth but stiff consistency. Add more water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the proper consistency. If your dough is slimy texture, add more flour and less water next time. 
3. Separate the dough into two disks. Sprinkle each disk with more flour, and knead it in to form a smooth dough. Roll out the first disk a bit on a floured surface. Sprinkle again with flour, and roll a bit more. Keep sprinkling and rolling until the dough is no more than ⅛ inch thick. Slice into desired shapes with a sharp knife or pastry cutter (pizza cutter works fine too). Repeat with the other disk of dough. For the wrappers, they should be about 4inches square, on the larger side, and when you think they are thin enough, keep rolling they should be paper thin, but just thick enough to stay together. If too thick, they will not fry all of the way through and they will have a pie crust consistency. Like the pies you would get at McDonalds. :) We want crunchy egg rolls. 
4. When you’re using the wrappers, moisten the edges with a bit of warm water to help them stick together when cinched closed.

I did not have a general all-purpose flour, but I did have a red mills bread mix available that worked great! I also found that if you use this recipe and double it a couple of times, it makes amazing pie crust!

Ones your wrappers are ready, set them aside and start on your filler. The recipe calls for cabbage and shaved carrots, but I saved some time by buying ready made slaw mix. dry. Just the veggies pre-shredded.  

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons tamari (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons honey (or more to taste)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 
• 1 pound 90% lean ground and chopped beef
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil or coconut oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 10 ounces shredded cabbage (I used preshredded slaw)
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Gluten-free Wonton Wrappers 
• oil, for frying

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, place the tamari, rice vinegar, honey and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and whisk to combine well. Pour half the sauce into a separate, small bowl. To the remaining sauce in the large bowl, add the ground meat, and mix to combine. Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to allow the beef to absorb the sauce.
2. In a large skillet, cook the garlic in the sesame oil over medium high heat until the garlic becomes fragrant (about 2 minutes). Add the cabbage and carrots, and then the sauce you set aside from earlier, and toss to combine. Turn the heat down to medium-low, cover the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until the cabbage is wilted and the carrots are beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Uncover the skillet, add the beef mixture and the remaining tablespoon cornstarch, and toss to combine. Allow the mixture to cool for about 10 minutes. Tilt the skillet to separate any remaining liquid, and pour off the liquid.
3. Arrange the first wonton wrapper square with a corner facing you. Place a bit of filling about 1 inch from the corner of the wrapper. Fold over the corner and roll one turn away from yourself (see photo), making sure to roll as tightly as possible and to prevent any trapped air bubbles. Fold in the sides securely, and continue to roll until the eggroll is completely sealed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.
4. Fry, about 1 minute per side, in 375 degrees F oil. Drain on paper towels and keep in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.
5. Serve the remaining filling tossed with rice noodles

 

    

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Okay, 8 weeks pregnant and everyone I know is posting about cheesecake, not good. Pinterest is seriously killing me and I just couldn't take it anymore. Sadly, the days of going to the store and buying cheesecake are long over. It has now been almost 7 months of eating gluten free, and at this point...there is no going back. :) So goal this week, was to discover a great Gluten Free Cheesecake. There is the option to buy it in the store, but cheesecake is expensive enough without it being gluten free. I found a recipe for a basic New York Cheesecake online, but whats cheesecake without chocolate?!? So, I changed it up a bit.

This is the easiest recipe I could possibly find when it comes to cheesecake, I wasn't about to go all out and use the 20 ingredients required on other recipes. Just a little out of our budget...which I have already manage to blow. Next time, Maybe...Anyway, on to yummy chocolate cheesecake.

Recipe: Yields 8-12 servings

Crust:
2 cups of crushed pecans
2/3 cup of softened butter (NOT MELTED) 
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups coconut flour

Filling: 
4 – 8 oz bars of gluten free cream cheese, softened
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350' F

Start with the crust.

I bought a bag of pecans, while still in the bag, cut a tiny slit at the top just to let the air out. Use a hammer or something with a flat end to crush the pecans. Now there may be an easier way to do this, but this method worked fine. Put crushed pecans in bowl. Add butter, brown sugar and flour. Using your hands kneed the mixture till it becomes slightly crumbly but will hold its form. Lightly spray your 9" pan. Then using your hands spread the crust mixture on bottom of pan and up the sides. Making it 1/4 inch thick. I then added a handful of dark chocolate chips. Set aside while you make the filling. 

DISCLAIMER: I tried baking the crust for a few minutes before adding the filling...didn't work too well, the butter melted and the sides fell down. If this happens throw it in the freezer then reform the sides. But the chocolate at the bottom melted nicely. 

Now for the filling. Having a kitchen aid mixer is a lifesaver! Add cream cheese, softened, sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla and mix well. It shouldn't be runny, the batter should hold its form but be soft enough to manage. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave and add to filling. 

After mixing it all together use a spatula to pour into pan being sure to avoid the sides at first so your crust doesn't get mixed in with the batter. Sprinkle any extra pecans over top and put in oven for 30-45 minutes. 


Make sure the filling is cooked thoroughly by sticking a knife in the center. It should come out clean. Using a spatula go around the outside edges of the cake to loosen sides from pan. 





Let cool, do not take the sides off your pan until it is completely cooled. Top with extra Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter Chips, throw in fridge overnight preferably, and enjoy!  :) 

Easy GF Chicken Noodle Soup

For those of you who eat GF, the first time you got sick with the flu, you probably quickly noticed that canned store-bought soup is not gluten free. Now you can spend $5 dollar on a single can of gluten free soup from the health food store, but really who wants to do that and get only broth and a few chunks of meat. In light of my recent sickness and major craving for some chicken noodle soup I am going to share some really good recipes on how to make your own home-made gluten free soup. As well as some places to buy canned gf soup. 

GF Chicken Noodle Soup

• cook 1 chicken breast until just done. cut into cubes
• in a pot cook onion and celery in small amount of the chicken broth (read the label, and make sure broth is gf) until almost soft. add grated carrots.. cook until veggies are soft.
• add diced chicken
• add chicken broth. bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer
• add parsley , salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
• cook approx 30 mins to meld the flavors
• I cook my noodle separately and add in the last 5 mins**

**Tinkyada is my favorite brand of gluten free noodles. 

EASY RIGHT?!? Now, after trying this, you will think why in the world does anyone feel the need to add wheat to everything! EVEN SOUP! If you want to make it creamy chicken, simply add some cream/milk to the recipe. 

Now, I haven't tried this exact recipe, but I have done some similar soups before to use as a base. Easy as can be! 

If for some reason, you like to eat soup regularly, or want to plan ahead and have some on hand just in case you can order gf soup in bulk online.   Gluten Free Cafe is a great brand and is sometimes available at your local grocer such as Walmart and Meijer. Just be sure to price out both before ordering to make sure you are getting the best deal. 

Gluten Free Blueberry Cinnamon Pancakes

First off, can I say YUM! This is the first time I have had pancakes since going GF and I was not disappointed. Even my husband thought they were great. It is definitely a recipe we will be repeating in the near future.

Recipe and Ingredients

Yield: 8 four-inch pancakes (4 servings)

• 1 cup frozen/fresh blueberries (thawed)
• 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
• 1 Large Egg
• 3/4 cup Milk (cow, soy, rice, almond, coconut)
• 1 Tbsp. Oil
• 1 tsp of cinnamon 

Combine Bob's Red Mill Pancake Mix, egg, milk, cinnamon and vegetable oil. Blend well with electric mixer or whisk. 

Then add blueberries. Let batter stand and preheat non-stick griddle to medium-high temperature. I have an electric oven and I heated it to 4 on the dial. Lightly grease pan with butter or oil. I like to start off with a mini pancake to test the temperature of my pan.

Pour 1/4 cup of batter into pan and cook until top is bubbly, turn and cook until opposite side is golden brown. Adjust temperature if necessary and continue cooking remaining batter.

Top with all natural home-made syrup and enjoy! 

Elzie's Photography

I recently started a Facebook page with all of my photos on there. I am hoping to someday turn it into an actual business. Check it out and "like" it! 

Click HERE 

(for the link to my Facebook page) 

I hope you enjoy!

Sweet Pickle Relish

 If you are new to the world of canning this is a great starter project. It is easy, uses only a few ingredients and super yummy!

There are a few things you will need to make this process easier. Stainless steel bowls, measuring cups, knife, chopper, and a food mill. Luckily my sis-in-law had one that I could borrow. The food mill makes chopping the cucumbers much easier. It preserves the juices and texture of the cucumber.

The consistency your cucumbers should be

Yield about 8 half pints

• 4 cups chopped cucumbers (about 4 medium)

• 2 cups chopped onions (about 2 medium)

• 1 cup chopped sweet green pepper (about 1 medium)

• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper (about 1 medium)

• 1/4 cup canning salt

• 3 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 tablespoon celery seed

• 1 tablespoon mustard seed

• 2 cups cider vinegar

         

Combine chopped cucumbers, onions, green and red peppers in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and cover with cold water. Let stand 2 hours. 

Then start to prepare your jars. After washing them thoroughly with hot soapy water, put in water bath canner and bring to a boil to sterilize. Leave them in covered canner till ready to use. Or you can use another separate pot to boil the jars and the lids in, I found this method easier. If you are so blessed to have a dishwasher, you can put them in the dishwasher as well. You need them hot when you put the relish in them. Never put hot liquid in a cold jar. 

While you are waiting the 2 hrs for your ingredients to soak, you can prepare your second batch by chopping up more vegetables. This way you keep the ball rolling and there is no down time. 

Once the two hours is up:

• Drain; rinse and drain thoroughly. 

• Combine sugar, spices and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Bring to a boil. 

• Add drained vegetables; simmer 10 minutes. 

• Remove sterilized jars from the water bath canner and place on counter

• Bring that water back to a boil, you can add a little bit of vinegar to the water in your water bath canner to keep the mineral deposits off the jars. 

• Pack hot relish into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. 

A batch will typically be 8 half-pints. My 2nd and 3rd batch I was able to get 9 jars. It just depends on how accurately you measure out your ingredients. 

• Remove air bubbles by tapping side of jar or using a knife along the inside of the jar
• Wipe off rim of the jars with a damp paper towel to ensure a tight seal
• Adjust two-piece caps securely, don't tighten the rings too tight, you need the air in the jars to be able to escape. 
• Process 10 minutes in a boiling water-canner. 

After the 10 minutes of processing:

• Turn off the range
• Using a jar lifter, remove the jars from the canner and place on a kitchen towel
• When you hear a popping sound, that is the jars sealing. If they don't seal you can add the relish in with the next batch recook and try to process again, or you can put that jar in the fridge and eat in the near future. 

• Leave the jars to cool 
• You will need to wash off the jars after they are completely cool. Mineral deposits from your water can leave a film on your jars making them look cloudy. 

"We are indeed much more than what we

eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help 

us to be much more than what we are."

Adelle Davis