Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Kyle and I have been on this kick for the past few months of eating no grains and no sugar. Some days are better than others but I can say that we are trying our best and by best I mean sometimes we like to eat pizza and ice cream. 

So we've decided for ourselves to limit our consumption of these "foods".  It truly is amazing to see though how our bodies react to certain foods, especially sweets.  So when I'm cranky and depressed I just want a delicious SUGAR cookie AND instead of giving in, I've decided to try making more "healthy" versions of sweets, since let's face it...we all need a cookie every now and then. 

Here is my most recent recipe I tried and it was a huge success!

Give it a try and tell me what you think!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

First mix together the Gluten Free Flour Mix:

1 cup sorghum flour (aka jowar flour) or millet flour

1 cup potato starch (not potato flour) or other starch blend (I did half Tapioca Starch and Corn Starch)

1/3 to 1/2 cup almond meal, or buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/01/cooking-baking-gluten-free-tips-for.html#ixzz2QpK4RsOi

Then Add in:

4 cups of oats
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 large ripe smashed banana
1 C. Pure Maple Syrup (the real stuff)
1/2 C. Coconut Oil
1 tbsp vanilla

Mix well. Add Choc chips or Raisins if desired.  Scoop large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 375  for 10 min. Enjoy~ These are cookies you wont feel bad eating 3 or 4 of them right out of the oven! Delish!
 

Veggie Chow Mein

Here's a quick update on what Kyle and I have been up to this year 2013 so far:

• Kyle loves to ride his bike to work! Sometimes he complains that he doesn't have a car to drive and then he remembers how cool he looks when he rides his bike and that we only live less than 1 mile away.

• Kyle is busy busy busy acting as Elder Quorum's President and he is great great great at it!

• I am in the process of finishing up my Interior Design internship at Ethan Allen! Crossing my fingers that they have a job opportunity for me when I graduate as their Merchandise Interior Designer!

• I went to Dallas and spent the day with my ID class and we toured the World Trade Center and the Design Center. Very cool!

•  I just got called to be the Beehive Adviser and it has been super fun and a great learning experience for me!

• Kyle and I are trying to run more to get ready for the 4th of July Fun Run in Utah!! Can't wait!

Ok so now to the fun stuff!

Kyle's really been cracking down on our budget and challenging me to create bi-weekly meal plans which I might add is quite a challenge since there is STILL only TWO of us to feed, but Kyle loves leftovers so I guess I shouldn't complain about it.  Here are a few of the recipes that have been "winners" to our tastebuds.

VEGGIE CHOW MEIN 

• 6-8 ounces cooked chow mein noodles (Annie Chuys is best. I used her Buckwheat Soba Noodles)
• 1/2 cup sliced snow peas
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup shredded napa cabbage (or other Chinese cabbage)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red pepper
• 1/2 cup diced green onion
• 3/4 cup sliced mushrooms (shittake or any variety will work. I used Baby Bellas)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1/4 cup Nama Shoyu, soy sauce or tamari (gluten free variety if needed)
• 3 tbsp brown rice vinegar (I had regular rice vinegar so I used that)
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1 tbsp coconut nectar (I used 1 TBSP of Stevia powder)

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl mix together the garlic, ginger, Nama Shoyu, vinegar, 1 tbsp oil and coconut nectar.  Stir well and set the sauce aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large sauté pan on high heat and add the chow mein noodles.  Pan fry the noodles until one side starts to get crispy.
3. Push the noodles to the side of the pan and add the vegetables.  Stir fry the vegetables for about 2-3 minutes.  Add the sauce, stir well and continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes.
4. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Clown Noses and Texas Rain Storms

We've been staying busy here at the Kinateder house apartment. Kyle is working hard and learning a lot. This month he went to a week long Economic Development conference up in Austin and had a great time staying up late at the hotel bar talking with friends about the church.  I guess you really can share the gospel anywhere! Especially when you are Elder's Quorum President! WHAT?! Yeah...that's right. I said it and it's true. He's not only busy during the week now he's even busier on the weekends! He is good at it though. He is probably the most friendly, sincere person I know and he is going to make a huge impact on a lot of people as he fulfills this calling.  Please, pray for him. But... the most exciting news for Kyle, this month, is that he is now the proud owner of a bike.  He rides his bike to work (which is less than a mile away) and since we only have one car and I'm usually gone with it, he now rides his bike home for lunch too. Wahoo!

So far he has only had one incident... This weekend is was raining, no more like pouring outside and I was at home ready to go pick him up so he wouldn't have to ride his bike in the rain. As 5:00pm arrived, the clouds were dark and heavy but there was no rain and hadn't been much rain for the past few hours. So Kyle decided it would be fine to take the quick 10 minute ride home and right as he was leaving a guy from work stopped to talk with him. After a nice chat, Kyle jumped on his bike and started home and just as he was about to enter the gate to our apartment buildings, he looked up at the dark, heavy clouds and realized he was out of luck. He started peddling faster but it didn't help. The rain trickled at first and then it just started pouring down heavy Texas sheet rain. Luckily he wasn't too far from home but he definitely had a fun start to his weekend.

I'm enjoying Interior Design school at University of St. Mary's. I go twice a week in the mornings which is perfect for me. During the rest of the week I work at a Nutrition Club about 30 minutes up in the Hill Country. It is a beautiful drive in the mornings. I feel really blessed to have found this work and school schedule. It gives me plenty of extra time to keep up on hair appointments and watch my favorite shows and of course all the other more important things in life.

We met up with Brooke and Josh at a really fun restaurant called OASIS. This place sits on the edge of Lake Travis and over looks the lake and it is gorgeous! We listened to loud music, received poor service, got free plastic dinner cups that say "Happy 30th Anniversary" and had a great time.

Oh yeah and last month we went to the Circus. Very entertaining! 

And yesterday we were tasting judges for the Schertz' Fest "BBQ Cook Off!" We judged the pork ribs. There were 15 different kinds and we had to judge them on smell, appearance and taste. There were a bout 4 that were amazing and 1 that made me almost throw up but all in all they were pretty tasty.  Like I said earlier, it's been raining like crazy this weekend so the "Cook Off" was pretty muddy, so I wore my cowboy boots and felt right at home! We walked around and said "HI" to the contestants and one guy let us try his brisket. I smelled like BBQ for the rest of ... I still smell like BBQ!

~We love us some TEXAS BBQ~

Alligators and the American Flag

We had a great 4th of July.  Kyle and I took a nice walk before the morning parade down to the Schertz Fair Grounds and checked out the SAWEET BBQ pits for the Rib Cook-off, which sadly you have to sign up for to participate in. And when I say BBQ Pits,  the Texans go all out with these special smokers! We I decided then and there to sign up for the next Rib Cook-off in September.

We met up with Kyle's coworker, Josh, who was participating in the Baked Beans Cook-off. Somehow we also got wrangled in and enjoyed a little taster of like 12 different kinds of baked beans. Good times. We finished up with some BBQ from the fair and then went swimming. Schertz put on a great lil firework show that we were able to enjoy from our balcony.

Now for the Alligators. Friday, after work,  Kyle and I drove down to Houston, where Brandon and Amy live, to see Adam, who also came into town, and the Alligators at Brazos Bend National Park. 

We brought plenty of water bottles and 10 minutes into our little alligator hunt, they were all the temperature of bath water so when we came across the "FREE" snow cone cups and ice cold water, I praised Brazos Bend. It went something like this: "Now that makes it worth $7 to get into the park." Oh the simple joys in life!





Apparently July isn't the most sought after time to go to Brazos but HEY we are all from Utah so we just thought "What the heck? Let's do it anyway!" We later learned that July really isn't the best time because the Alligators like to stay cool and they hide away in the water and far away from the trails. Luckily we had Kyle's amazing EAGLE EYES.... He spotted 3!

 The alligator above was just the first one we saw and we were all so excited!! We saw it eat a bug and swim around. Mesmerizing I tell ya!

 This is the "Observation Tower" A rickety wood staircase that you can look off of and see the alligators lakes. This is where Kyle spotted the 2nd alligator. Apparently it was a larger alligator but it was so far away in the lake so we couldn't really see it. Unless you had Kyle's EAGLE EYES.

 But for the 3rd and last lil guy, well he was wide out in the open. And photo ready! Later we learned from some native Texans that early spring is the best time to go because there are about 20 or more so alligators out and about. And I thought we were so cool for seeing 3... Ha!

Not gonna lie, I seriously thought the Alligator might jump up and bite my finger while I was smiling for the camera. Good thing that didn't actually happen!

 Kyle is such a great uncle! He  thought it would be funny to put Kennedy up in the tree and she did it for him but she really wasn't too happy about it so I had to hurry and capture the pic before she started crying. She is so adorable!

Happy Birthday on the Lake

I love to celebrate. I love parties. So therefore, I get so excited when the Summer comes because that means it is Birthday Time for the Kinateder's. As we get older, it's gets harder and harder for me to plan something special for birthday's, besides just doing the regular going out to dinner.  I wish every birthday could be like my "Sweet 16". Thanks mom. So For Kyle's 28th Birthday, I wanted to take him and do something outdoors and "kinateder-like". I thought it would be perfect to go kayaking downtown on the Colorado River in downtown Austin. Kyle thought so too. But... Our friends, Brooke and Josh had something even more amazing in mind. We were invited by Josh's coworker, Paul, to join him at his lake house and have a BBQ on Lake Austin. To add to it, we rented a kayak and a paddle board. Birthday Perfection! YAY!

We brought steaks, a football and a 5 lbs container of potato salad. I made chocolate cupcakes with blue frosting.  And everyone sang Happy Birthday.

           "...Happy Birthday to yoooooou....." It was windy and the candle kept blowing out.

 

The "boys" (Max, Josh and Kyle)

 Happy 28th Birthday Kyle! We love you!