Christmons

My Grandmother Cunningham has a beautiful singing voice. I would especially love to hear her sing "O Holy Night" at the Christmas Eve service every year. When I hear that song played during the holidays I always think of my sweet grandmother. She attends St. Luke Methodist Church in San Angelo, Texas. Every year St. Luke's has a beautiful candlelight Christmas Eve service. Besides my grandmother singing, my favorite part of attending Christmas Eve at St. Luke's is their beautiful Christmas tree decorated only in Christmons.

I have begged my grandmother for several years to please make me Christmons for my tree at home. She would always laugh and say it was impossible because of her arthritis and her old age. I quit asking for them the past couple of years realizing it wasn't meant to be.

A week or so ago a box arrived from Texas from my grandmother. Inside were tenderly created Christmons for my tree. Every single one was made from my grandmother. I just cried. Her Christmons are my favorite part of this year's Christmas. I could be given 2 carat earrings from John and my grandmother's lovingly made ornaments would still rank first.

Some of you might be wondering what Christmons are. Let me explain and thank you for letting me indulge in my History Teacher mode!

Chrismons are handmade Christmas tree ornaments with various symbols of Christianity. The name Chrismon comes from a combination of CHRISt and MONogram.

These monograms and other symbols, such as the sign of the fish, were in use early in the church as secret symbols of Christianity. However, they became popular in the fourth century AD when the Roman emperor Constantine, after his conversion to Christianity, adapted the Chi-Rho monogram as his military ensign.

The chrismons are often white and gold--white to represent Jesus' purity, gold to represent his sovereignty.

Examples:

Anchor Cross - Jesus Christ, our anchor. A symbol of hope "sure and steadfast" (Heb. 6:19)

Circle - Represents eternal life with no discernable beginning nor ending.

Triangle - A figure constructed of three equal sides; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three equal parts of God's nature.

Crown - Jesus as Lord and King, his victory over sin and death, and his place of honor at the right hand of God the Father.

Chi Rho - The oldest monogram for Christ, they are the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. Constantine the Great put this on the banners of his army. (Constantine was the first royal convert to Christianity)

Jerusalem Cross - also know as the five-fold cross and the crusaders cross. Originally used to represent the five wounds of Christ; later used by the crusaders.

Three Entwined Circles - The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with no apparent beginning or end.

Butterfly - Our Lord's resurrection: Resurrection of those who die in Christ. (I Cor, 15:20-23)

There are others such a the Crown and Manger. They are all unqique symbols of Christ.

My grandmother has always been a blessing since I was born. Now she has given me handmade Christmons that will continue to symbolize our shared faith long after she is gone.

Ahhh...Christmas Cookies

One of my favorite things to eat during the holidays growing up were the homemade Christmas cookies. NOT the sugar cookies from Pillsbury cut out to 'resemble' real Christmas cookies. I loved them! Yes, past tense. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I can no longer eat my beloved homemade Christmas cookies. Well, I can, but boy would I pay for it in spades!

Thankfully there are ways to still bake when you have Celiac by using various gluten free flours. The recipe I have for Christmas cookies comes from my favorite allergy free magazine, "Living Without". Just look at the cookies. They look 'normal' and they taste pretty darn good! Just ask Liam....

RECIPE
¼ cup butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
¾ cup brown rice flour
½ cup white rice flour
3 tablespoons potato starch
2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons water or more

In a food processor, combine the butter, honey, sugar, vanilla and lemon peel and process for one minute.

Add the flours, potato starch, tapioca flour/starch, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and baking soda, blending until mixture forms large clumps. Scrape down sides of the bowl with a spatula and blend until the mixture forms into a ball. (If needed, add more water, a tablespoon at a time.)

Remove dough and shape it into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. (I left my dough in overnight.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with baking spray or line it with parchment paper or non-stick baking liners.

Using half the dough at a time, roll dough out to ¼-inch thickness between sheets of floured waxed paper or plastic wrap. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. (VERY important to follow this step!)

Cut rolled dough into desired shapes and place cookies on prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Switch pan position half-way through baking for even heat distribution. Remove cookies from oven and wait two minutes before transferring to rack to cool.

When cool, decorate cookies with your favorite gluten-free icing and colored sprinkles.

Variation
For Spice Cookies, add ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Bake as directed.

Tennis Anyone?

UPDATE: YIPPEE!!! Davis Cup is headed to Birmingham!

Most of you that know me are aware that I love tennis. I used to play it competitively in school. I love to go to professional tennis matches and even play with my boys. If you follow tennis or even are a sports fan in general, then you know about the Davis Cup. It is like the Ryder Cup in golf (more or less) or the World Cup in soccer. It is a competition between tennis teams representing their home countries. It is a VERY big deal.

There is a strong possibility the USA vs. Switzerland match in March of '09 will be played in Birmingham, AL. A mere 2 hour drive from Nashville. Woo Hoo!

My favorite radio program, "Rick and Bubba" is doing its best to bring it to Birmingham since Bubba is a huge tennis fan and they are based in Birmingham as well. If you go to this website: Bubba's Christmas Wish you will be able to show your support for the Davis Cup to be in AL. by supplying your email address. I would greatly appreciate your support. Even if you don't care for tennis or live far away from Birmingham, please sign up with the link provided. I would love to be able to take Jonathan and see Roger Federer and Andy Roddick play. GO USA!

Chickens, Pigs and Goats OH MY!

It is that time of year again. It is the time of year that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. As Americans we have been blessed to live in a land of abundance and wealth. You may not feel wealthy especially in today's economy, but compared to the rest of the world, we are living the 'high life' in the USA. As Christians we also take for granted the ability to worship as we believe and without fear of persecution. Again, not every other citizen of the world is so lucky.

Believe it or not, there are still people in the world who have never heard of Jesus Christ. The Great Commission is still an urgent and real call. Not all of us can go on mission trips and perhaps that is not what we are all supposed to do. We all have different gifts but we are all called to spread the word and love of Jesus Christ.

Christmas 2008 is going to be a bit different for Jonathan and Liam. Certainly the recession has impacted our ability to give them gifts as abundantly as we have in the past. John and I decided that we will start new traditions for the boys and even though the economy prompted us to act-we still feel the boys will be blessed by the changes.

First-we wanted the boys to think outside of themselves and their comfortable upper middle class world in Nashville, TN. Sure, we have the Nashville Rescue Mission and shelters that we all give our time and money to. But what about outside of the USA? John heard about an organization on the radio program , "Focus on the Family." The organization is called Gospel for Asia. They work with missionaries and the low-caste or Dalit (“Untouchable”) families. http://www.gfa.org/

On their website there is a page called "Gifts from the Stable". You are given the option to purchase livestock (goats, water buffalo, chickens, lambs etc.) for a Dalit family. For example, you can purchase a lamb: Lambs are an eternal symbol of God's love for us in the gift of His Son. What better way to share the message of this redemptive love with a poor family than through a lamb that can grow to provide wool for income and milk to drink? A pair of sheep can produce lambs that can be sold at market, and they are also a source of meat. You can share these living symbols of God's love for $65 each or $130 for a pair.

You can donate the livestock in the name of a loved one. Jonathan had 2 pigs purchased in his name that will be given to a needy family. Liam picked out a pair of Chickens and a goat that will be given to a Dalit family in his name. The kids were excited about this and it made them think beyond themselves-which for a teenager and toddler is often difficult to do!



The second big change this year is based on an idea that my sister, Melanie shared with me. The boys will only receive three presents from us this year. THAT in itself will be a shock to their ole systems Christmas morning. However, one of my memories from Christmas 2007 is Liam crying because he was TIRED of opening presents and didn't want to open anymore. Liam literally had about 7 or 8 presents left to open when he had a meltdown from exhaustion. John and I looked at each other and thought, "My gosh. This is not good. We have gone overboard. Never again."

The three gifts will be Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. Not literally of course. The Gold gift will represent a gift that they really, really wanted for Christmas. The Frankincense gift will be something that they need. Finally, the Myrrh gift will be something that will benefit them spiritually. Don't feel too badly for them-they will still receive gifts from other family members!

We felt that by focusing on the true meaning of Christmas, limiting their gifts, giving gifts with a purpose and also giving to others in need, the boys will appreciate Christmas even more.

OK, I will wrap up this long blog by asking a question. Has the economy forced you to change up Christmas this year? OR what traditions does your family have that put the focus of the season where it should be-Jesus Christ? Please email or leave comments...

Nothing But The Facts

Some of these numbers are pretty shocking regarding Celiac Disease.

Celiac Disease by the Numbers

1 out of every 133 Americans (about 3 million people) has CD.

97% of Americans estimated to have CD are not diagnosed.

CD has over 300 known symptoms although some people experience none.

Age of diagnosis is key: If you are diagnosed between age 2-4, your chance of getting an additional autoimmune disorder is 10.5%. Over the age of 20, that rockets up to 34%.

30% of the US population is estimated to have the genes necessary for CD.

2.5 babies are born every minute in the USA with the genetic makeup to have CD.

There are 15 states in the US with populations less than the total number of Celiacs in the US.

CD affects more people in the US than Crohn's Disease, Cystic Fibrosis, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease combined.

People with CD dine out 80% less than they used to before diagnosis and believe less than 10% of eating establishments have a 'very good' or 'good' understanding of GF diets.

It takes an average of 11 years for patients to be properly diagnosed with CD even though a simple blood test exists.

The US Department of Agriculture projects that the GF industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010.

GF foods are, on average, 242% more expensive then their non-GF counterparts.

The Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act became law in 2006 allowing for easier reading of food labels for those with CD. What took so long?

12% of people in the US who have Down Syndrome also have CD.

6% of people in the US who have Type 1 Diabetes also have CD.

Among people who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with Celiac, as many as 1 in 22 people may have the disease.

There are currently 0 drugs available to treat CD.

Hummus=Comfort Food

One of the first dishes my husband ever cooked for me when we were dating was hummus. I had heard of the dish before but due to the way it sounded-I wanted no part of it. However, when you are in the early stages of dating and on your best behavior, you eat whatever your boyfriend/girlfriend makes for you and you eat it with a smile on your face! So, with a smile plastered on my face and my hand in a fist (literally) I took a bite.

Hmmm...this isn't so bad I thought. Another bite. Hmmm...this is actually pretty good. Another bite...my hands were no longer clenched and the smile was genuine. I was hooked on hummus from that moment on. John likes to eat hummus with pita bread and since I am now gluten free I eat mine with either gluten free crackers or simply with a spoon.

The recipe I included is from the magazine "Living Without" which caters to us with food allergies. There are different ways to prepare hummus but the key ingredients remain the same; garbanzo beans and olive oil. Give it a shot-you will probably fall in love with it as I have!

RECIPE

16 ounce can of garbanzo beans, undrained (Or cook your own!)
1 garlic clove, minced
3 TBs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried dill weed or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill weed (I actually use rosemary because I prefer the taste over dill weed.)
2 TBs fresh parsley
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (Leave it out if you are not into spicy.)


1. Place all ingredients in food processor
2. Puree until smooth.
3. Scrape down sides of bowl often.
4. If mixture is too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

My List

I have had a very, very rough few days. I was blind-sided by a turn of events both personal and work related and I have been in a serious, disbelieving funk because of the situation. Normally, I am laid back and keep on rolling when bad things happen. Not this time. Not this time...I contacted a sweet, fellow believer LATE last night and I believe her words of support and her prayer have helped pull me through enough to realize I am stronger than this situation (with God's help) and that I needed to let it go for now and enjoy my days off of work and time with my family.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have always LOVED Thanksgiving. I love the food of course, but I also love the relaxed atmosphere. I love eating comfort food with family surrounding me and then moving to the living room to watch the Dallas Cowboys! Of course making it through the entire game without falling asleep can be extremely challenging!

I wanted to create a list to demonstrate what I was thankful for this year that included both serious and whimsical things. My list is by no means exhaustive or complete. However, these are a few things in which I am grateful for this year.

1. My boys...they both drive me crazy at times since they are 3 and 15, but I sure do love 'em!
2. Indoor Plumbing (Yes, I'm serious. Think about it!)
3. When "In Your Eyes" comes up on my Ipod.
4. My job!!
5. My vacation to Cape Cod!
6. Philosophy Body Products (Try Amazing Grace or Smores!)
7. The extremely comfortable bed and bedding when I stay at Hampton Inn for business.
8. Landon receiving a new eye just in time for Thanksgiving. (It looks gorgeous!!!)
9. My loyal and truly caring friends. (K.R.S.-a surprise blessing in 2008! Elaine-THX for the visit!!!!)
10. Cathy staying in my life despite leaving my company. I've never met anyone like her!
11. The burn that happens in your throat from chugging a BOTTLED Coke on a hot day!
12. Catching up with former students on Facebook. LOVE IT!
13. Every time I type a message on my blackberry which has all the words, correct spelling, and reasonable grammar.
14. My house--it is in a great part of Nashville and it feels like home.
15. "Life on Mars" Jason O'Mara anyone???
16. Being a Native Texan!
17. A successful season for Texas Tech football.
18. Reconnecting with my former youth minister, Rick Brown. ( I didn't know how much I truly missed him.)
19. Moments when I have the clarity of thought to acknowledge that I can’t control what happens - only how I react.
20. Jill-my saving grace at work. What a trooper she has been with those blueprints, contracts, graphs, excel...etc.
21. John loving to make music again...the passion is back. Yeah!
22. My family...what would I do without them? (Don't ever want to find out!)
23. Everyday I have the opportunity to learn something new.
24. FAB (oh my gosh, how I love to catch their shows in Nashville!!)
25. The freedom to practice my faith as I see fit.
26. The movie "Cars" and "Scooby Doo"-toddler crack, let me tell ya!
27. OJ Simpson finally receiving justice.
28. That I am a female born in the United States of America.
29. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (It's just a flesh wound I tell you!)
30. Liam becoming potty trained this year. Whew...
31. The Cotter side of the family...for a bunch of Yankees...you all ROCK!
32. French Onion Soup at Bistro 215 and the 'people watching' that you get for free!
33. Gracepointe Church and the teachings of Stan Mitchell...wow
34. The entire frozen foods section at Trader Joe's.
35. Sarah Palin. She made SNL funny again.
36. Bridget-is there a better human being? Her parenting skills and devout faith are beyond admirable.
37. The "Rick and Bubba Show" every morning on WLAC.
38. That Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt Eloped! I am SO kidding!!! Are they real people???
39. The men and women in the military who give us the ability to go to bed at night and not worry. (Thanks, Keith!)
40. Gluten Free Bloggers...nice to know I am not alone on this journey.
41. That on Thanksgiving I am not a turkey.

Food for My Irish Hubby

My husband is an Irish Catholic boy from Brooklyn. I am a protestant girl from Texas. I am Scottish and Irish but did not grow up eating the traditional foods of my ancestry. What is ironic is that it IS my ancestry that contributed the most to me having my disease--celiac. Anyway, John loves Irish food and was raised eating it on a very regular basis. I am learning to cook the Irish foods he enjoys such as soda bread, corned beef, and Irish Stew. The Irish put a great emphasis on potatoes and butter-yummy! One of the dishes John especially likes is colcannon.

I have never been a fan of cabbage. Basically all colcannon is, is mashed potatoes with cabbage and lots of butter, lots of milk, lots of salt and pepper. Easy. And, if you have leftovers, you can make what's called bubble and squeak in England, apparently. Just fry the mixture until brown on one side, then flip, and eat. My husband would probably add a fried egg on top for himself.

Directions to make Colcannon:

If you're making corned beef by boiling the meat(which John prefers over the baked way), then add 1 head of cabbage, roughly chopped, and a few potatoes, roughly 4, peeled and cut into about 6 pieces in the last twenty minutes of cooking. Remove the meat when it's done, separate out the potatoes and mash them with a lot of butter (I used about a half a stick) and about a half cup of milk or half and half, and a good big pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the cabbage, but first chop it up finer if you want. I wanted to because I wanted to pretend I wasn't eating cabbage. It should be good and fluffy.

If you're not making corned beef, boil a pot of salted water and add your potatoes and cabbage. I threw in half a rough chopped onion too. Cover and boil until everything is tender, about 15 minutes. Follow instructions above.

My Knight in Shining Armor

A little beyond Halloween, but who is counting?? My little man was so pumped about dressing up for Halloween. Liam initially wanted to be either (1) A Skunk or (2) a car that plays music! Considering I do NOT sew the skunk outfit was not a possibility. Liam decided the night before Halloween he wanted to be a car that plays music. We might have been able to semi pull off that outfit if we had been given more than a day's notice from His Majesty! Therefore I was able to talk Liam into visiting a store just to "browse" the costumes. He was doubtful that he would find an outfit and was not very enthused about this whole process. (Remember this child is 3!!!!!) After going through what seemed like 50 outfits and wading through the other 100 parents and kids who also waited till the last minute, Liam found his perfect costume.



Liam became a Knight in Shining Armor! He was thrilled with his choice!!!! Liam came home and immediately transformed into King Arthur and got busy "knighting" all the animals. On Halloween we went to the church "Trunk or Treat" and he had a ball. The cars were to decorate as a theme so it was really entertaining to me as well to see all of the effort the folks made to provide the kiddos a safe and fun alternative to knocking on doors!



Yes, for those of you who are wondering, Jonathan also dressed up for Halloween. He went as a Monk and the outfit rocked! However, Jonathan is NOT into pictures these days (in case you haven't noticed by the lack of pics of my 15 year old) and refused to let me snap photos of he and his friends before they went to terrorize Green Hills!!

The Facebook Experiment

I am terrible at maintaining anything on the Internet. I stink at it. Case in point-my last blog attempt had only a dozen or so entries and it was 11 months between posts. I started a MySpace with the help of my sister but it lasted maybe a week. I am on the computer sooo much for work that when I come home I shy away from the Mac. However, last weekend I was convinced to join Facebook. I was persuaded by the fact that it is more private then MySpace and more fun. Hmm...I'd have to think about that. Reluctantly,I put together a profile and uploaded some pics. I decided to look up a couple of former students and the rest is history as the saying goes.

Facebook has been a lot of fun. I am a bit overwhelmed at the moment due to the sheer number of former students I have added as friends. I intend to make contact with each one. It has been terrific to see where former students are in their lives. Some of my former students are now 30!!! Can you believe it??? Others are married with children and some are still trying to find their way in this world.

It has been a true blessing to catch up with former students. When I was teaching I would become so emotionally invested in some of their lives. Especially the Class of 2000 from Santa Fe High School. I taught some of those students 3 of their 4 years in high school. I saw them enter as 9th graders and cried with happiness for them when they graduated. When that Class of 2000 walked away from Santa Fe High School, I did as well. Going back to SFHS in the fall without them was not an option. I remain especially close to one-Jenn- who is my surrogate 3rd sibling my sister and I always wanted!

I no longer teach, but I am still an educator and I still care about my former students. I am glad they are letting me catch up with them and pleased that so many want to catch up with me! I have a blackberry and that enables me to write on their walls or send a quick message. Thankfully, because of the blackberry I don't have to be in front of the Mac every night to keep up with Facebook. Without the blackberry, I would imagine my Facebook experiment would not be working out so well. : )

My former students are grown up or growing up-just as it should be!

Autumn=Casseroles

Autumn in Nashville, TN. The temperature is cooling off and the leaves are turning brilliant shades of red, yellow, and orange. Visual eye candy for those of us who love fall. When I think of autumn I start to think about warm comfort food. Considering I am from Texas, this specifically means a spicy bowl of chili and buttery cornbread. Of course, this also means chicken and dumplings, beef stew, and various casseroles. Autumn makes me want to get into the kitchen and create a bowl of warmth.

As I have gotten older and had a family of my own, I have tried to venture out and prepare dishes that add a health benefit. My favorite vegetable (and there are not many I admit!) is the zucchini. I love zucchini in ANY form or fashion. Thankfully, so does the rest of the family. Well, maybe not my 3 year old. One of my favorite dishes to make is a recipe from an old "Cooking Light" magazine. I have adapted it to fit my family's taste buds a bit, but it is listed below.





Ingredients
8 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 cups cooked rice

1 cup fat-free sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded asaigo and romano cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (Gluten Free)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of fresh minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender. Drain; partially mash with a potato masher. Combine zucchini mixture, rice, sour cream,cheese mix, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl; stir gently. Spoon zucchini mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Preheat broiler.

Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned.

Let me tell you-it is DELICIOUS! The casserole alone is enough for a hearty meal. But not for my husband who thinks there should be some sort of meat with every meal. So if you need to take care of the carnivores in your family (or yourself) the casserole is great paired with pork chops or baked chicken.

Enjoy.

Blogging Take Two

I'm baaaack! It has been a very long time since I last posted a blog and even then it was under a different name! I have decided that because so many of my family and friends are literally spread out over the world, it was time to communicate in a way that reached more people. Also, since my last blog almost a year ago, I have become addicted to reading blogs. Not blogs at random, but specifically those that address the disease I have-Celiac. I will dedicate a post soon to clear up exactly what is Celiac Disease. Suffice to stay-gluten is my enemy. Gluten is in many items you eat every day. Be thankful if you do not become violently ill after eating one slice of pizza, a piece of toast, a bite of cake, or even after drizzling soy sauce on your fried rice. Those of us with celiac DO get sick from those items and many more. We have to live our lives gluten free. But I digress-more on celiac and gluten soon!

My point, before I went off on a bunny trail (Rhonda H.!!!) was that blogs have become a fun and informational hobby of mine in the past few months since I decided to embrace the gluten free lifestyle. Of course, some friends and family also maintain blogs in which I really, really enjoy.

The purpose of this blog will be to share events in my personal life that deal with both gluten free living as well as regular ordinary events that might be of interest to family and friends. I will post pictures and gluten free recipes as well pictures of my family and life here in NashVegas.

Considering how busy I actually am-don't expect daily blogs. However, feel free to leave comments or suggestions.

It's good to be back!