Cupcake Of The Month; GF Red Velvet Cake

Well I don't know when it became September 30th, but it somehow did. I thought I had plenty of time to do this cupcake, but apparently I did not.

I have been wanting to do a Red Velvet for months now. This cupcake through is not a true Red Velvet, it's a really good cupcake, but I had ran out of beet powder, so they look like chocolate verses red.

I will be putting up beets here shortly and trying the recipe again using new red beet powder. Aiming to make it a true red velvet.

But the cupcake itself is very good. Every bite the kids took was Oh Mom This Is Good! Three raving reviews. So that is good enough for me. This is just a great cupcake, great form and one I will be doing over and over again. Just a great cupcake all around.

Cupcake Of The Month
Gluten Free Red Velvet Cake
By Marcie Dingerson

Make ahead:

Mock buttermilk, 1 cup rice milk, about a tablespoon vinegar set aside.
Flax Egg, Ground Flax, and sparkling water, mix and set aside.

1/4 Cup coconut Oil
1 Cup Sugar
Flax Egg
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Buttermilk

Mix and add in:

2 1/4 Cup all Purpose Flour, I used Bob's Gluten Free Mix
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
Beet Powder, I just dump until red.

Mix, bake at 350 for 18-21 minutes. I did little cupcakes at 18 minutes.

Icing, was coconut milk, mixed with powdered sugar until formed, and mix with strawberry powder for coloring. I have no idea on measurements, I just dumped until formed. But this is good with or without icing.

Ellie Got Some New Clothes

Ellie got a new coat today, and some new pj's. Plus her new blankie. She is styling now.

Ellie

The Birth of a Monkey. Oh Dear God how I hate sewing patterns. I do not understand the language it is written in, all the tucks and folds and flips. Oh why can't something be simple? This monkey took three hours to birth, luckily I did all the sewing long after the kids went to bed, as cuss words were a-flying.

BUTTTTTTTTT I think she turned out pretty well, she has some flaws, but she was the first monkey and I can only get better from here. Well I can hope?

So before going to bed last night, I put her on Tucker's bed, and boy was he thrilled to wake up to a new Monkey, but not any Monkey, a GIRL Monkey. So she needed a name, Ellie. So she was named, but Mom she needs clothes now. So tonight I made a very simple sundress. And Mom you HAVE to go to Goodwill tomorrow she needs a blanket and there is NOTHING Pink in this house. And Mom anything Pink will do, because she needs a blanket. So guess where I'm heading tomorrow?

I think she is now adorable, the dress put her over the top in cuteness. You after all can't have a naked Monkey running around. 

Bath-Time

Guess who needed a bath after a few hours of playing with Chalk?

Change Of Plans

So sadly as life changes, plans change as well. We were trying to pay down the van 100 a week, and yes it was killing us, but we were doing it. I had planned on taking a free week this week as we are getting hit with everything under the sun and miss a payment, and pick it up again next week. But here is where the plans change. We are putting paying the van on hold for now. And for the next 10 weeks we are going to attempt to save 100 a week, as hubby's truck is really not doing well at all. So we either need to fix up his truck, or buy him something to run back and fourth from work.

For right now we will continue to duct tape his truck up and really hope for the best.

After hubby is taken care of with an OK car for travel. We will continue to pay down the van. Although if there is anything extra in the budget I will put it towards the van. Currently stalled at 4409.

Order of things

newer car for hubby

one last medical debt (we are paying monthly but it needs to leave us)

Pay off the Van

Have a little savings

Work on paying down the house

Sadly, it might be time for an expert?

Well sadly I think I'm about to give up the fight? I have been trying off and on to fix Ethan's "new" sewing machine. I have fused with the bobbin, I have changed the bobbin, I have changed thread many times. I have opened it up and cleaned it out, I have seen it run with the covers off, there is a spot where it bunches and for the life of me I can't figure it out. You name it I have done it.

But if I keep going, he may be 30 before I get this to start working. So it may be time to save up a bit and get an expert. Well someone more knowledgeable in sewing machines then I.

First Day Of School

Well a sad day here as the kids head back to school, and we must start setting the alarm clock. After a sleepless night we got up way too early and headed to school. Ethan couldn't sleep, told me he was worried about the class having too many kids. Asked him about it today after school, and the class has just the right number of kids.

Cole had a blast, he was so happy when I picked them up. And he actually wants to go back tomorrow. So very sad, he is liking school. Fine i'll take them all back tomorrow.

Challenging Ourselves Again

Yes, you read that right, we are going to challenge ourselves again.

So looking at our budget, I spend WAY too much money at the grocery store. Well needless to say this HAS to stop. My garden is growing, it's time to eat what we grow, Time to eat what I can, and or dry. We normally do one big shopping trip a month, then we end up at the store at least once a week, spending an extra 50 or more dollars. It has to stop. If I run out of something tough, find something else, if I run out of juice tough, I have water, and canned apple juice. No chips, well again TOUGH, you don't need the salt.

So we will continue to do our one day monthly shopping, but I will be writing out a calendar of food, working around eating out of the garden, and eating out of our jars. Our goal is to do one big shopping trip and just one small shopping trip because you know I will forget something. Our goal is to save 100-150 dollars a month. And that should help us pay the van payment without crying weekly. We just need breathing room in our budget.

This is our under the bed stash. 

Our challenge starts on the Friday the ninth of September.

Weekly Update 9/3

So we painfully made the payment to the van we are down to 4409, finally over the 4500 hump. We maybe going into October in the 3k range which would be awesome. I will tell ya, this is surely testing us. We take our money one day at a time. On that note, we have not written one check since we were hit with check fraud a few months ago. Totally cash only. Although we lack cash, so it's good to see where it all goes and do you really need that?

Today I really wanted to get out of the house, and we haven't been garage sale-ing in well over a year. It was due. Although we stayed in town, to be close to a bathroom, and that way if momma got cranky we could come home. Kids, heat, and signs that lead to no where, can make a mom very cranky.

I found books, tons and tons of books. Priced between 10-25 cents. We came home with a van load (for the school library). And this print. Something I had to have for the library. I think after I paint out there, this will look snazy, hanging on the wall. It looks like someone hand painted it, but after getting it home, we realized it was a print. But it's still snazy. The photos do not do this justice.

Not much else to report around here. Boys start back to school on Wednesday, I'm canning like crazy, because once school starts, time will be lacking. I am updating my canning totals as I go.

We are hoping the heat will help my many tomatoes turn red, very exciting to have tomatoes. As I'm down to my last jar of sauce around here. We are all out of salsa. I will be getting my recipes in order so as the tomatoes start to come in, and I get home from school I can get going. I am not to waste one tomato. 

Until next week.