Highlights From My Super Productive Vacation From Blogging

While I was "out", I had an overwhelmingly huge amount of projects going on, not the least of which was a biography of my grandmother's life for her 80th Birthday (as seen below).


The book was mainly written by my sister and mother, but was edited many long hours by my sister, a coerced Cousin Liz, and myself. It was a project that took months, the last few weeks of which were late nights and a trip to the printers just in the nick of time. I did all the desktop publishing and artwork, which was MASSIVE. I am not sure that I will undertake a project of this magnitude a second time around. I don't think my sister will either.

I'm including the cover art and the first three pages for you to enjoy (just click on the small image to get the big image). My grandmother and her parents were first generation Finnish immigrants, so the story is as much America's story, as it is my own.



Cover Art: Depicts images from Finland, New England (1929-1960), and Pennsylvania (1960+) including my grandmother, her parents and sister, her husband and children, and the places that she lived.






Page 1 of her story








Page 2 of her story










Page three of her story







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In addition to all the hard work of my grandmother's party and biography, my last sister had another baby boy. My first sister, her daughter, and I traveled west for a week to help out and I took my shifts at night. I took several pictures of the kids, including some for the birth announcement and Mother's Day gift for my mother, both of which I shot and designed.



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And as if that weren't enough, I also made tutus for both of my one-yr-old nieces. They both seem like twirly girls, and I would have killed for a tutu like these as a kid.


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I have been cooking in between. I experimented with a GF peach cobbler made from fresh peaches, which was delicious. The dough did not rise correctly though, so I am considering it a semi-failed project. Back to the drawing board on that one.

I also experimented with a KFC knock-off recipe that I altered to be GF. I have some changes I want to make to the recipe still, but expect to see really great GF fried chicken in your near future. It is first on my list of recipes to go up soon.

I think I am finally ready to get back to blogging again. I still have other projects going on, but I can work them around my bloggy life a little better than the last three months. Thanks for hanging in with me. I hope not to disappoint.

Ciao!
Ali Kat

Hiatus Coming To An End Soon

After taking a three-month hiatus to work on some other projects and to re-group, I will be back with new posts soon. In part due to some encouragement from a very old friend (the friend is not old, just the friendship), who is a writer herself. Ideas are brewing. Stay tuned...

Food Allergies for Food Industry Workers

I found this article to be really helpful for both the food service worker and the customer. Thank you Joseph the Food Scientist for sending it my way:

Understanding Deadly Food Allergies

Important Things

If you liked "Stuff White People Like", then you might also like this. "Important Things" with Demetri Martin.

Cream of Broccoli Soup: Gluten-free

I've outdone myself. Best soup I think I have ever eaten. I will admit that this is a Martha makeover, but the modifications that I made are both GF, and I think a little tastier. It's worth the effort and then some.

Level of Difficulty: Anita

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion chopped
1 heaping Tablespoon all-purpose gluten-free flour
4 cups (32 oz.) chicken stock
1 3/4 lbs. broccoli; trimmed and cut into florets, peel and cut stems cross-ways into 1/4 inch pieces (keep stems and florets separate)
1 1/2 teaspoons course sea salt
ground pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Sauté butter and onions on medium heat in wok/skillet for five minutes. Add flour and stir constantly for one minute. Transfer to a stock pot and add chicken stock. Whisk on medium heat for about three minutes and lower the heat to low. Simmer, whisking often, for ten minutes. Add broccoli stems and bring to a boil. Add broccoli florets. Add salt and pepper, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 18-24 minutes, stirring occasionally (keep covered). Pour soup into blender and purée (you may have to do this in 2-3 parts). Pour puréed broccoli mix back into the stock pot. Add heavy cream, and whisk thoroughly. Serve to a happy crowd.