Merry Christmas Eve!!

I hope this post finds you all happy and well during this Christmas season.  I thought that over the next few days I would post a few pictures of our home all dressed for Christmas.  So....here goes!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!  

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

God's handywork

What a sweet kitty. :)

Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Bars

If you are looking for a gluten free bar recipe that tastes good...so good that you won't even miss the gluten...then look no farther my friends. These GLUTEN FREE Sugar Cookie Bars are moist and not grainy...you will love them...and your gluten free friends will LOVE you for making them!! They are quick and easy to make...you can dress them up to look festive...everyone will love them...what more could you ask for!?!

 

I have been making the gluten version of these bars for years....and you can find many recipes around the web.  Click here to see my post on them from a few years ago. 

Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
5 cups Gluten Free flour mix...I used Better Batter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking  soda

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter room temperature
1- 8 oz. block cream cheese room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons whipping cream - may need more
Food coloring
Sprinkles!!!

{add a thick layer of frosting and sprinkles too}
 

Directions: Cookie Bars: Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat the eggs into the mixture - adding one at a time. Add both extracts and mix thoroughly. In another bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add flour mixture, slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Press the dough into an even layer in your lined pan. Bake for 12-16 minutes. The bars should be golden brown on the edges. Remove from oven and let cool.

{I didn't get to share these this fall when I had intended too...
so if you make them now..of course use Christmas colored sprinkles!!! }

Frosting: Place butter into the bowl and cream cheese in bowl and beat on medium high until there are no lumps. Add vanilla extract, almond extract, salt and powdered sugar. Beat until combined. Add cream 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until fluffy and smooth.Add cream until you obtain your desired consistency.  Add food coloring. Frost and add sprinkles (because...you know..they are fun! ;)

Thanks for stopping by and PLEASE leave me a comment so I know you were here..I would love to return the visit. :)

 

Farm Photo Friday

Welcome to Farm Photo Friday.

I would love to see what is going on around your farm, ranch or country home!! Please be kind to the hostess {me} and follow the rules. LINK BACK to me on your blog so that others can follow the link and play along! If you don't than you are not spreading the word that there is a linky party going on at my blog.

My Farm photo this week is a few pictures of our tree.  I have a few trees to put up but have not gotten that far.  I have to get a move on as we go again next week to the Mayo Clinic.  Not what I want to be doing...but this is what we have to do for now.  I want our Christmas to be as normal as possible...Thank you to all who left me comments and sent messages regarding my last post and chron's disease. 

 

*Link up to your specific post, not to your whole blog. {You need to click on the title of your post and it will open its own page, copy that link for your link up}

*Link up to your photos taken on your farm, ranch, garden or just out in the beautiful country.

*Please make sure you link back to me so others can see the other photo submissions. You can do this by either adding my button to your post or somewhere on your blog . The button is found on the right hand side of my blog. You can also simply put a link at the bottom of your post like this. I am linking to Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday.

*Visit a few people from the linky party and make some new friends. Don't forget to comment here and on other blogs too....you know we ALL love comments!!

*If you are not a follower I would love for you to become one. {You don't HAVE to but I would would appreciate it}

If you want to play along but need a little help to get started, simply leave a comment here with your questions or email me. I will be glad to help you get started.

Click below here to get started. :)

Update....finally.

Hello~

I know you all must think I have fallen off the face of the earth....I have not...I am here.  As some of you may remember our youngest son was hospitalized last year and has just not been feeling up to par.  We have been to Mayo Clinic and have found that he has Crohn's disease.  I have really been struggling with this diagnosis because he is only 8 and has a long row to hoe.  I have not wanted to mention any of these things because it only makes it more real...but I know now that it is not going to go away regardless if I mention it or not.  So, that....my dear friends is what is going on in my world.  I know that we will make it through and I am thankful that I have our good Lord on our side and he is there for me in my darkest hours.  We have a team of wonderful doctors at Mayo and will be going back soon to begin treatment.  Our sweet little boy is severely anemic and has other problems that go along with crohns.  Please pray that the Lord guides our doctors to treat our son in the way that will make him totally healthy again.  Thank you, dear friends....I am really going to try to get back into the swing of things with my blog as the doctor stated that this is especially hard on the moms and he said I should make sure to continue with things I enjoy.  Thank you to those of you who have sent me messages asking if I was okay....you are all wonderful.