A simple GFCF icing for cakes, cookies and cupcakes

This is too simple to be good. But it is -- good, that is. And, very simple. Three ingredients. That's all. I'd say I developed this recipe, but I'm not sure a three ingredient recipe really can be developed. It's more of trial and error thing over time that finally worked, after many failures. See, all I wanted was an easy icing for my gfcf cakes and cookies. But, the no-dairy thing makes it difficult. And, my kids seem to not tolerate recipes heavy with the cf margarine or organic shortening. And, soy's a no-no, too. Anyway, enough of that. Here's the recipe.

-- 1 cup powdered sugar (Domino is gluten free, but has corn starch)
-- 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (just a quarter teaspoon, no more)
-- 1 tablespoon water (this could be any milk sub, if you wish) plus more in 1/4 tsp increments to soften icing.

OK, now, mix the dry ingredients until blended. Add the water. Whisk well. Then spread. That's it. This will hold, retain color, etc.

So, what I haven't done, but know can be done, is to make variations of this. You can vanilla extract if you like. Or, add cocoa or carob powder to make chocolate icing. I don't know why it took so long to make this, but, you know, we have a lot going on. The simple things tend not to get done right away.

Halloween Candy

We don't do Halloween. It's not our favorite holiday, and never was. I'm not into the ghosts and spooky things. I tend to think it's a warped event altogether. Yet, I don't want the kids to be left out and now they're old enough to know when they're not getting candy and everyone else is.

So, this year, I bought some gfcf candy (also soy free) with a couple other treats and I'll put them in a birthday-type bag from the dollar store and send it to school for their Halloween party. They'll think it's great. To be honest, my kids don't eat much candy. We used to buy DumDums lollipops, but noticed when they had too many in a week that their behavior was warped. That's when we learned about the dangers of food coloring. So, we found Yummy Earth brand pops and College Farm candy. Good stuff. My oldest can stomach the dyes and corn syrup better than my youngest. And, it's the oldest's party I'm most concerned about. Oh, you can get chocolates out there too. Our kids just can't have it, so that's why I've skipped it. So, below, I've included some ideas of other safe candy.

- Sweet Tarts, from Wonka
- Necco Wafers
- Smarties, Ce De Candies
- DumDum lollipops
- Lifesavers (regular)
- Pez
- Starburst
- Some favorites like stickers, fancy pencils and a fancy pumpkin straw.

That'll be enough. It'll last her a long time. Like I said, we don't let her have candy very often. It's a treat.

The youngest will be happy with some DumDums, a Pez and Smarties -- with the toys, of course.

So, we'll make our kids happy on Halloween through sugar but I might just rename the holiday in our home, "Candy Day."

The flax egg substitute

This is one of those basic recipes for a cooking alternative that you don't know about unless someone tells you. For those of you who can't have eggs due to a food intolerance or allergy, you have some choices. Ener-G makes an egg replacer that has a potato base. Bob's Red Mill sells one too. You can make your own at home using flax seeds. It's much healthier, and in bread recipes, adds a nice texture. I use this is any recipe possible to give my kids more nutrition -- breads, rolls, cookies, cakes, etc.

Here's how to make it:

To make one egg sub ... one tablespoon of ground flax seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of liquid. Microwave for 1 minute. Let it sit for at least a minute or two. Note: with some microwaves, the heating can be done in 30 seconds.

Flax seeds are very healthy. According to HealthCastle.com, it has alpha linolenic acids, which is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, which is what you find in fish. Its benefits include lowering cholesterol, especially the bad cholesterol, LDL. It also may lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure, and also lower the risk of heart attack.

It also is an antioxidant and has fiber. New research also shows it may help fight cancer, particularly breast cancer.