This recipe is a bit odd, as people either love the idea, or hate the idea. But one thing is the same: once people taste it, they all really like it! Mexican Cornbread Casserole Ingredients:
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside 2. On medium high heat, brown the onions (5 minutes) in 1 tbsp of butter, then add the ground beef & spices, and cook until browned and done. 3. While that is browning, mix together in a large bowl the corn meal, baking soda & salt. Then add the milk, can of creamed corn, eggs, & butter. 4. Pour half of the batter into the greased baking dish 5. Put meat into pan over batter 6. Cover meat with peppers and any other "topping" you want (beans, tomatoes-see note with ingredients) 7. Put the cheese on top of that 8. Pour remaining cornmeal mixture on top of the whole mess! 9. Bake for 45 minutes until it's golden all over, and you can smell it! Let this cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving it. We like this with a big ol' salad on the side. Have a great weekend!
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Autism and a "fresh start" don't generally go together......at all! Autism has so many facets that differ from one diagnosis to another, but one thing is common for the majority of those with autism-the need for sameness (I've mentioned this before). So, you can see why a "fresh start" could read more like "complete end of the world!" to someone with autism. The need for sameness comes from a desire to want to comfort oneself, or to feel control over unsure situations. It's a comfort thing. I generally anticipate change for my autistic son with a fairly large knot in my stomach, fingers crossed, and many prayers said. In Caleb's nine years of life, we've moved 8 times....so, he gets a little anxious if he sees me putting things into a box, and will usually (very loudly and mono-toned) say "Caleb is not to move!?" (it really is a question, and a statement all at once). Or if I decide to go crazy and add a little something different to our pasta sauce, Caleb is sure to find each bit of newness and proclaim (again, loudly, and mono-toned), "Caleb is not to eat spinach!" (p.s., I just throw the sauce into the blender now so he can't see what I've snuck in....muua-ha-ha) :) Caleb has been wearing the same shirt to school every Monday (a yellow, hand-me-down karate shirt) because he has karate at school on Mondays, and couldn't fathom wearing anything else.....seriously, for 3 years.... (it was big when he got it, and it's getting small now). I'm genuinely worried about what I'll do when it really won't fit anymore! Those are funny examples of Caleb's need for sameness, but the truth is, this obsession often means huge meltdowns, serious anxiety, and a lot of stress. Every time we did move, we had weeks and weeks of meltdowns (2 or 3 a day), and regression of skills Caleb had been working on. If he is un-happy with a meal change, it can get the girls crying because Caleb is so loud and upset, and I usually loose my appetite, and am also upset, and Caleb often has to go to bed early because he can't calm down. And the karate shirt? Well, if I forgot to do his laundry and he's getting worked up, he just wears to school a wrinkly, slightly smelly shirt that I dug out of his laundry, so, I'm just embarrassed. That's no biggie. The things he's been upset about have evolved (simple changes in activities at school used to set him off, now he is more able to adapt). Or if we visit family "in the wrong order"; this used to drive him crazy, but he's learning that we see family in a convenient order for us and them, not just based on a previous visit. A new year signifies a new start for a lot of people, that includes Caleb. When he goes back to school, he will have a new e.a. Am I nervous? Heck yes. But do I believe he can navigate this newness, and come out stronger? Definitely. Over the last few years Caleb has developed more than we had anticipated. When he gets upset, he manages to work it out within an hour (instead of it wrecking an entire day). If something has been changed, we can often prep him for it (if we are aware ahead of time about the change), or we can pull him aside and talk to him about it. He doesn't always seem to be listening, and we sure don't have a conversation about it (we've actually never really had a proper conversation with Caleb), but he is maturing. He seems to be grasping that, although this world is overwhelming, and constantly changing, he can adapt too. We've been working with him, and teaching him that if you can't control the world, you can still control yourself. For instance, if his sisters are singing, and it bothers him (but they really are not being pests), we'll tell him to plug his ears. He can't change the girls, but he can change what he hears. If we are waiting for the school bus, and it's late (he knows when it's late!), and he starts to get upset, I can say, "we can't change the bus being late, but we can change how we wait", and I'll start to sing a song he likes, and encourage him to join in. P.S. a late bus used to be a ruined day! The lessons I teach my autistic son are often (often!) lessons I need to learn myself. Gosh, I get really worked up if plans change suddenly....seriously, I really have a hard time coping! But I am learning along with Caleb that I can't change the schedule, but I can change how I am reacting.
Isn't that a striking lesson in how we can deal with people we don't understand, such as people with autism? We may see a child loosing his mind in the grocery store, and feel irritated, and judge the parent of that child, and maybe even the child. But what if, because we can't change that child or parent, we changed our reaction? Could we show kindness by smiling knowingly? Or just not staring would be a big deal to that parent (who is, without you staring, feeling like a fool anyway). A fresh start may be intimidating (the unknown often is), but it may also be necessary. In fact, I would wager a guess that it is extremely necessary. If my son can manage to adapt, and learn this principle, why can't us "normal" people at least try? Try a fresh start; a fresh mind-set. Let's stop thinking we can change others, and just change ourselves. My son is learning this revolutionary concept, let's pass it on in 2014. Yawn.....I'm tired..... Last night we went to a friends house for New Years Eve, and we played some games, chatted, and ate a lot (a lot!) of food. It was good though, we just got back really late. So, I'm starting the new year a smidge pooped. No worries though, I feel satisfied knowing that some of my friends now know what a Hello Dolly is! Because my husband, a neighbour, and 2 girl friends had NO IDEA what a Hello Dolly was (I made them for last night), I will assume more people also don't know. For starters, it is a wonderful musical, but I'm not talking about that. Here's a direct cut-and-paste from the Eagle Brand website: "the most popular recipe in Eagle Brand history, this easy, one-pan treat debuted in the 1960's as a "Hello Dolly"...." There you have it. Hello Dolly (gluten free edition) This is my gluten free adaptation of the bar. p.s. Some people call this the 7 layer Magic Cookie Bar. Ingredients: The crust:
Preparation:1. 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease, and line a 8x11 pan with parchment paper. Give yourself some parchment overhang to be used as handles to pull the squares out of the pan later. 2. In a bowl, combine the oats, 1 cup flaked coconut, butter, and egg white. Press into pan. 3. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crust as evenly as you can manage, reserving about 1/4 of the can. If your sweetened condensed milk isn't pouring nicely, sit it in a bowl of hot water for a bit to get it soft and flow-y. 4. Sprinkle with pecans, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut; press down into the sweetened condensed milk. Drizzle reserved condensed milk over the whole mess. 4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until lovely, golden brown on edges, and a little on the top. Let these ladies cool before cutting into them! Once they are fully cooled, pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment overhang, and cut into squares (or bars). These bars can (obviously) be sticky and a little messy, so I put the squares into a pretty muffin cup before plating to bring to the party. Happy baking in 2014!
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Hi, I'm Amy-Lyn! I am the lady behind this here blog! I live in the sticks with my animals, my super handsome husband, and my
3 amazing kids! Here you'll find things from recipes (gluten-free, paleo, and strait up junk food!), DIY ideas, thoughts on raising a son with autism, and whatever else pops into my brain! : ) Read more about me by clicking here! Want to Stay Connected?
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