Community Advice Column

We need each other in community to build each other up, keep each other going, and give a little wisdom and advise sometimes. 
  • No one is strong all the time. But when you feel like quitting, just take one more step. When you get there, you can rest a little, but then take one more. And one more...

Giving Back

We are part of a greater community - a community that needs us. Today is always a good day to "give back" and "share a little".

As my sister always says, "Sharing is caring".

Story Time with Jessie In Color

Jessie provides digital story time to kids through a local program. What are we reading today?
Links coming SOON!

Just Living out Loud

Um yes... there's more.

Family Matters

Remember that they are the things you will see when you decide how well you lived your life.

Culinary corner

For a variety of reasons, we've had to accommodate a great variety of substitutions and meal alterations in our family. From cultural food aversions, to serious dairy reactions, to common nut allergies and even my own severe beef intolerance (I can't even use the same tongs to transfer beef (cooked or raw) as used to touch my food - it really is a ridiculously sensitive intolerance that results in nearly as bad as birthing contractions if I'm not intentional to avoid it). So, in addition to delicious and practical culinary ideas, I'll also be sharing alterations and substitutions I've used successfully.

English muffin pizzas

I used to have to omit dairy for one of my sons, so we used an easy adaptation here so everyone had the "same" lunch.
  • English muffins: opened and toasted in the toaster
  • Traditional pasta sauce
  • Cheese-ish: One round slice of provolone on each muffin / Substitute: One round slice of potato starch non-dairy provolone on each muffin
  • Put on a baking sheet and broil for about 45 seconds.
Total Time: About 5 minutes

Quiche anytime

I'm really open to what can go in a quiche - kind of whatever I have in the fridge... but the base is always the same.
  • I use a roll-out pie crust 
  • Custard: 3 eggs, 1/2 cup cream, 1/4 cup milk (we substituted almond milk for most milk, and while coconut cream can be subbed for cream in many dished, it may alter this a bit), a shake or salt and pepper
  • Cook the crust empty in the shell dish at 375 degrees for about 5 min, and pop any bubbles with a knife.
  • Take it out and add the fun stuff (ham, broccoli, shedded cheese (or no cheese), cooked chicken, bacon, spinach - pretty much whatever. For first timers, try picking three ingredients that sound good together and go with that.
  • Pour custard over top of the ingredients to cover.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes - until center doesn't jiggle

Coconut Cream - a Great Dairy Cream Substitute

In the years that I needed a dairy substitute for one of by sons, Almond Milk was the best drinking milk substitute, and I cooked with it often. But when it came to cream, I found coconut cream to be the be a great substitute for nearly every cream use (except making homemade butter). 
Simply buy the cans of coconut milk (not water) and don't shake or stir the can before or after opening it.
This will allow all of the cream to sit at the top, and the "milk" to sink to the bottom. With a spoon, skim the cream off the top until you reach the clear milk. (Try not to skim out any clear milk to keep the two as separate as possible.)
The cream has great uses like:
  • Homemade whipped cream
  • Cream for quiche
  • Homemade ice cream  
  • Cream for baking
  • Etc.