Babylon Sanctum

Recipes: Gluten-Free Tea Time

2011-10-20T14:12:00.004-04:00

We don't have the standard three meals here at Babylon Sanctum. We couldn't be that normal, could we? ;)

We have:
Breakfast
Lunch
Tea
Dinner
1am Meal

The only meals there with specified times are dinner and tea. They are also the only meals that multiple household members are expected to take part in.

Dinner is by 7pm. Tea time is 2:30.

I've been eating a lot of microwave soup for tea time lately. Here's today's :)

Neo-Peasant Soup
-a soup spoon of butter-substitute
-broth (chicken, beef, veggie, or whatever you like)
-broccoli (fresh)
-1 small potato
-green bean baby food
-sqaush baby food

Add everything to your microwave-safe bowl; use enough broth to cover all the veggies. Chop the broccoli and the potato relatively small, so they'll cook.

I use scissors for the broccoli and cut it directly into my bowl of broth. And a very sharp knife for the potatoes.

Microwave until potatoes are tender, approximately 6 minutes.

In that six minutes, you can, in this order:
-put the kettle on to boil
-get the tea pot and leaves or cups and bags ready
-make a toaster oven sandwich to go with your soup
-clean up the counter after prep

And when your soup is done, your microwave is going to be very steamy. Give it a quick 10 second wipe-down with a rag or paper towel, and you're ready to sit down to a full meal, quickly and easily prepared :)

Serving Ideas

Excellent spicing options are adobe, soul seasoning, or just plain salt and pepper.

If you want to, you can thicken the soup with some instant mashed potatoes and then thin it with a little milk-substitute or cream-substitute. This makes a heartier version, really good for a cold afternoon :) You can also do this and leave the potato out if you're out of potatoes or just don't want to bother with a potato.

It's really good topped with deli ham, too.

Serve with a warm baguette topped with ghee, or with a toaster-oven ham sandwich, recipe below. Dip the sandwich in the soup. It's awesome :D

Toaster Oven Ham Sandwich
-par-baked gluten-free baguette
-casein-free ghee
-thinly sliced deli ham

Cut a section of baguette in half, spread with ghee, and arrange ham on bread. Toast open-faced in toaster oven until baguette is crispy.

Notes
Butter substitute: We use casein-free ghee and/or Earth Balance.
Broth: You can make your own if you want to, but you're good to use a high quality brand of store-bought stuff. Read the ingredients list to make sure whole ingredients were used. It should look like this, not like this.

Baby food: Trust me. They will add a lot of depth of flavor and nutrition to your soup. Experiment with different baby food vegetables, or even meats if you're adventurous. It's a quick, simple, shelf-stable source of lots of vitamins. Use Beechnut. Alternatively, you could make your own vegetable purees and freeze them for things like this.

Instant mashed potatoes: Again, go for something high quality. The ingredients should look like this, not like this.

Milk substitute: We use almond milk.

Cream substitute: We use a cashew-based product.

---

There you go. Enjoy tea time :) What are you thankful for today?

Love, life, light and luck,
Mama Coyote

Funny Morning!

2011-07-26T17:53:00.002-04:00

Elijah woke up giggling this morning :)

His Grandmere's comment is that he must really like Texas.

-Mama Coyote

Making (Personal) History

2011-07-21T22:03:00.003-04:00

I am riding in a car, connected to a cell phone network. From my laptop. We're in Texas, on a long drive from one place to another.

This. Is just so amazing.

May I never get tired of things like this.

--Mama Coyote

Caffeine levels are critical!

2011-07-08T13:04:00.002-04:00

I'm not allowed Vanilla Coke until after Pennsic and I've sworn off caffeine except in certain situations until after I try to donate blood.

And now, I'm stimming like mad.

Grrrr... Stupid chemical reactions between caffeine and vitamins!

Titi Bug

Outside Moment

2011-06-30T21:07:00.003-04:00

I wish I could get pictures, but it's dark outside.

I brought the rug from the master bedroom outside and laid it out in the front yard, to get rained on and to have the sun beat down on it. It needs a good cleaning.

Elijah laid down on it and said he was going to sleep. "Goodnight, Mom. See you tomorrow!"

So we brought blankets and pillows out, and we are now lying down on the rug in the front yard, wrapped in a big Little Einsteins comforter and enjoying bedtime.

I need to thank my mediciation, and FlyLady, and Al-Anon. Before all of that, I would never have let this happen.

Thank you for this moment.

"Cloud fly high up in the sky. Going fast."

"Elijah's scared. It's dark out here."

"Elijah warm." "Elijah's warm?" "Right."

---

This didn't last too long; he decided he wanted water, and to go inside. So now he's in his room, playing with trains until he's ready to go to sleep. But it was such a wonderful moment.

I love my boy.

Goodnight,
Mama Coyote

From a couple weeks ago

2011-06-27T12:29:00.001-04:00

I'm going through my email, and this is one I sent myself from my phone while Elijah and I were still at my parents' house:

"Elijah stayed w my dad this evening while Lyn and I went to mooch some Internet and play with the kittens. When we got back; E was asleep in my bed. Dad says he set up a chair and tv tray, spent two or tree minutes making sure he had everything in place, including the rug and his trains. Then sat down and said, "Eggs and rice please.". After eating his eggs and rice, he went into the room he and I are staying in, turned on the light, and put himself to bed. Dad thought he'd be back in a minute, but when he went to check on him, he was asleep."

He's so awesome :)

--Mama Coyote

I wish I could record straight to DVD

2011-06-24T11:00:00.001-04:00

I think Mama C would enjoy Masterpiece Mystery and Are You Being Served? BritComs make lots of things better.

You, little boy.

2011-06-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

We're sitting at the dining table, eating together, and Elijah looks at me: "What are you thankful for, Mama?"

Care Bears

2011-06-23T16:34:00.001-04:00

Elijah keeps saying, "A pig truck!" I look up, and there is indeed a pig truck on Care Bears. "A pig truck are beautiful," says Elijah.

When the people come out of the walls...

2011-06-23T12:24:00.003-04:00

Our main bathroom is completely torn out. The half bath still has its toilet, but nothing else... and the easiest way to get to the toilet is to go into the main bathroom through the hall door and duck through the torn out wall. This makes me giggle a lot. It amuses me every time I go through there.

Elijah followed me today, but I told him to stay out in the hall. There's a hole in the bathroom floor. It's not too dangerous to the adults, but to a toddler, it's a great gaping path straight to the basement floor. So he's standing there in the hall, and he says, "There's no wall in there! Mama's stuck. Mama's in the wall!"

:D

--Mama Coyote

"Get out of the way, I'm a bus!!"

2011-06-22T22:44:00.001-04:00

Elijah watched me playing Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

Apparently I said the above a few too many times after I'd hijacked a bus ;)

Mama Coyote

Internet fail

2011-06-21T11:08:00.002-04:00

Uncle Cat's PC doesn't get very good internet signal anymore, which means Titi Bug has been playing less WoW and more Sims 2 (and longing for Sims 3 and/or expansion packs). Babies are still cuter in person, but now I find myself desperately trying to play two families so that their teens can get married and stuff.

...I'm not sure what this says about me.

Catching up in a moment of Internet-ness.

2011-06-09T19:58:00.002-04:00

"Where's Elijah?" from under the pillows: "He's hiding behind."

"Have a go downstairs, see a clean washer."

More quotes.

2011-06-03T11:33:00.003-04:00

"I feel so happy!"

"Beanie! You like your food!"

Elijah asked me, "What's that?" about a satellite dish. "It's a satellite dish." "A SATELLITE DISH?!?!?! Oh my goodness!!!"

Charlie got too packed with dirt again to work, and Elijah brought him to me. "He's hurt!"

"Charlie's covered in dirt!"

We're watching Punky Brewster :D

--Mama Coyote

Another quote.

2011-06-01T16:36:00.002-04:00

"Packaw John is /climbing/!"

Papaw John also has a new name, it seems :)

--Mama Coyote

A day of pools and quotes.

2011-05-31T22:01:00.003-04:00

"Hi, bigger Mama!"
"Hi, littler Elijah."

"Come on, Grandmere, let's go in the pool!"

"Try'n go Grandmere's house find Emily!"

"NO DADDY!!! SEE PICTURE OF THOMAS!" (When he didn't want to talk to Daddy B on the phone, and wanted to see Thomas on Grandmere's computer.)

"Fred is cute!" Fred is a cat.

"Hi, bigger Grandmere!"

"Come on, Mama, go inside try'n eat eggs."

Elijah, Remmy, Beanie and I are in Kentucky until further notice, for the artist Sharaya Miracle's first gallery showing, and then to be out of the way of the reconstruction at the house (to repair the damage done during mold remediation).

There is lots of time for relaxation, crafts, computer time, and reading. It's good.

But I miss my cat, I miss Morning, I miss my family.

I love you guys. I'll see you when I get home :)

--Mama Coyote

The two impediments to productivity today...

2011-05-25T11:19:00.001-04:00

A cat blocking my sewing machine and Muppets/Sesame Street Nostalgia on Youtube. And people wonder why I'm so lazy.

Towel Day

2011-05-25T08:06:00.001-04:00

Happy Towel Day, everyone!

--Mama Coyote

Baby animals make everything better

2011-05-24T19:35:00.002-04:00

Zooborns has saved my day. This was a cranky, lazy day, where I spent most of the day in bed playing WoW. Then, I looked at baby aye-ayes and tigers and dik-diks (seriously, an antelope the size of a small dog, look them up, I want one now, but the cats would eat it).

So the moral of the story is: when in doubt, contemplate baby critters of your favorite species.

Breakfast

2011-05-24T09:52:00.003-04:00

"Hi train. You look happy!" Oh, small child. You're so awesome.

I'm sitting at a wonderfully clear dining table. I need to empty the dishwasher and reboot the laundry and spend a few minutes decluttering the bedroom... then I will sit, and I will braid yarn. Actually, first, I'll most likely talk to the remodeling guy who's going to show up. But after that! I will braid yarn.

Ummm. Hi.

This is not a particularly useful post.

But hi.

There's a little boy dancing at the table. He's amazing :)

--Mama Coyote

Titi Bug doesn't have issues, she has a subscription

2011-05-23T11:54:00.002-04:00

So, I'm trying to figure out why I'm always sick. One person, a Pagan Reverend who is like a second (or rather, at this point, 18th) mother to me, suggested I get checked for Lyme's, which may be dormant, and Lupus (oh, God, please, not Lupus). Also, B12 and B6, which I probably need more of, being mixed and part Native American. I'm also going to try and take a few different cleansing baths and see if that won't at least help me.

I guess it would make sense if I have Lyme's and didn't know it. I remember, back after Ap went off to boot camp and I was often alone in the house and bored silly, I'd walk what must have been five miles to the library to surf the net and sit in good A/C. Once, while sitting at the computer, I reached up to play with my earrings, like I do when I'm thinking and I felt what I thought was a scab. I picked at it and got a tick in my hand. I crushed it between my thumbnails and thought little more of it. Not long after that, Tim and I moved out and started going to school and trying to keep my own household and I thought the stress made me sick. Maybe it was Lyme's and that's what's wrong with me.

In either case, I'm going to try attacking this from both sides. I have plans for a Chaplet for my own purposes. I'll post about it here and maybe that will encourage Mama C and M. to make more craft posts (*nudgenudge* C'mon, ladies, don't leave me hanging). With any luck, that'll give me a spiritual edge while the doctor and new vitamins give me a physical edge. I'll post more when I have it.

--Titi Bug

2011-05-20T10:15:00.003-04:00

"Rice cake! Yummy rice cake! Kyle, you try a rice cake?"

"Elijah is happy!"

I had multiple dreams this morning. There was one about wandering around a convention with Anthony Hopkins, pretty much forgetting I was there for Camarilla games, because spending my time with Anthony Hopkins was way more interesting, especially back in his room...

And in another dream, I found a spinning wheel of this style. Except with dreamworld modifications. It was not very awesome to use, and I kept holding the roving too tight (which is something I do in real life). So in my dream, I was practicing spinning. For real. It was kind of awesome.

But not as awesome as spending my nights with Anthony Hopkins...

--Mama Coyote

2011-05-20T09:43:00.003-04:00

"Hi Mama, nice to meet you. I'm Elijah!"

"Elijah close the eyes!"

And he can count!! He can count! I'm so excited. He counted my fingers, and my lips. It was so awesome!

"Mama making eggs for Elijah!"

"Elijah try'n eat eggs."

My joints are so very swollen this morning, and there was no purring kitten to soften my morning (he was out in the living room). But there was a very happy little boy who wanted to play peekaboo and talk about trains and counting and lips and eyes and fingers :)

The house feels lighter after its surgery. I want to take the opportunity to have built-in shelves in the bathrooms, and I really, really want to put in frosted glass between the rooms and the stairwell, because it's really nice to have it so open and airy and bright. But that's probably not going to happen ;)

Good morning. Time to declutter now, before this afternoon's vet appointment of insanity. We're taking two dogs and two cats, all at once, to get checked over for ringworm. And Remmy needs shots. And I need to pick up new medicine for Beanie because the mold guys sealed up the closet that the medicine was in, and we can't unseal it until the industrial hygienist comes back to check things out.

Hello, world!

--Mama Coyote

Mold Remediation and Thoughts

2011-05-19T09:45:00.002-04:00

"Play in the park today, Mama.". Certainly, little boy

The mold remediation people are here, and Aaron Neville is playing on the CD player next to me. They've sealed off my bedroom... Which isn't really awesome, because all three dogs and my computer are in there. I'm blogging from my phone (which is awesome).

This is a reminder to myself: I want to do an intro page, a "what and who this blog is about" page. Profiles and pictures (or avatars) of everyone and all the animals, and little introsucrions, links to their blogs, business, a charity, whatever. Mayne some recommended links. I think it'd be awesome. And this is a big crew to keep straight without a guide :)

-Mama Coyote

A peanutbutter moment.

2011-05-19T09:26:00.002-04:00

Elijah jumps up and down in front of the refrigerator, staring up at the peanut butter way up high. "Little Elijah can't reach!"

I need to get a video of him talking. I want to remember how strange his modulation is, and I just can't do that in text.

-Mama Coyote