substitutions allowed

Guess what? Only 4 days until Friday. 

I'd like to thank caffeine for the assist today...all day long. 



Friday night I had the opportunity to drink wine and sit around and talk for hours and hours... It filled up the places that were empty... A necessary Girls Night out. The importance of women folk and friendships were on my mind today... 

Like anything- there's no one right way to do it- only the way that works for you.

Female friendships are a beautiful art that can often get put last on the list. I don't mean play dates or park chats- I'm talking kid-free, honest bonding time... When I worked and Mom'ed I just didn't know how to make time for it. I didn't realize that I needed it more than ever. Now- its a priority. It's a release. It's therapy. But better- because they are allowed to answer back and give you suggestions and disagree with you- and they don't charge you a copay either.

Some people like to have a big number of friends that they know in a small way. I like a smaller number of friends that I know in a BIG way.  I like to know how you like your coffee...what your favorite non-chocolate candy is... You know- the important details... I love Friends that remember my important things and give me an opportunity to remember theirs. Friends that text back, show up when they say they will and are deeply dependable. Strong, independent, self-reliant, fantastic humanly flawed, self aware individuals.  Is that too much to ask? Some people have a guard up. Some people you can only get so close to. Who has time for guards? Show people the real you. Give people the opportunity to love the real you. When you are with people you call friends- your inside you should match your outside you. That's my definition of authentic... If it doesn't- you are selling yourself short in the friendship department. 





One of the choices we made in the fight against Autism was putting the boys on a Gluten/dairy/soy free diet... When I first thought about making these a restrictions a reality- my heart broke... I thought about all the eating experiences we would never share. Hot cocoa in winter, baking cookies, PB&J's, trips to get ice cream... I could go on for pages... But as I peeled back the layers of my mind I realized the main source of my pain wasn't the loss of the actual foods- it was the emotional experience I associated with the food. Some days the diet is simple...some days it's the hardest part of our day. It all depends... I quickly realized through experimenting and so much trial and error that there are some insanely fantastic substitutions available.


Making cookies was exactly the mindless task my brain needed on Monday...




King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Cookies are too good to be true. In fact, better than any I could make from scratch.  Thanks for the recommendation Wendy! We added Barney Butter to half the batch which took it up another notch. Barney Butter is the most amazing, creamiest almond butter on Earth and locally made and non-GMO. Go to Whole Foods and buy both items right now. 


I'm so proud of myself because I didn't eat one single cookie today. However, I did have about 5 half cookies, most of a broken cookie that I broke on purpose, and a bite of every cookie I gave to the boys. Like eating while standing in the pantry- none of those calories count...

Sometimes we are so busy thinking about what we will miss out on- we don't stop to realize that there will be other, better things to take their place...





But most importantly, they passed the Parker test...



And the Greyson one...



His Rocky eye is getting better...







Have a good one... Love, Chrissy



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