Food Philosophy: Recipes and ramblings from a gluten-free naturopath

Even though Summer doesn't officially end until September 22nd when the Autumnal Equinox occurs, most people consider Labor Day weekend to be the end of summer.  Kids are either already back in school or headed there next week...beach trips are over...the garden is winding down...the pools are getting ready to close...it's time to welcome in my favorite season, autumn! But, before we do that, we have one last blow-out weekend that starts tomorrow!!  I can't believe that it's Labor Day weekend already--where did the time go this summer?  I always feel this way, but not for the same reasons as other people do.  Me...I'm always glad for summer to be over and to welcome in some--hopefully--cooler weather with lower humidity.  But, most of all, I'm all excited for the fun foods that go along with autumn cooking---the soups, stews, chilis, crock-pot creations, pumpkin goodies...need I say more?? Before we start cooking all of those kinds of meals, I have one last ...

The night before I had to fly out to Kansas City for my Mom's funeral, I had a spouse's social to host.  We were having a pool party/game night at the clubhouse and pool here in the subdivision where I live.  As I was planning the event, I decided that dips would be perfect for the refreshments since we'd be taking a "dip" in the pool :) I decided on 2 savory dips and 2 sweet dips so there'd be something for everyone.  I even invented a new dip recipe for the occasion!  (Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the dips or the serving table.  I guess I was just so busy and so focused on getting out of town that I totally spaced off taking any pictures---and I even had my camera with me!  Hopefully, you can give me a pass on this one since I was headed to my Mom's funeral :) I did, however, get a picture of the Teddy Bear pool cake that Tiffany Smith made and brought to share with all of us. Isn't that cute?? I didn't get to taste it b...

I had a meeting the other night and I wanted to serve something very summery and fruity but still dessert-y, so I thought and I thought and I thought and I discarded a bunch of ideas because it was too gooey or too heavy or would take too much time that I really didn't have that day.  And, finally, I decided on Key Lime Pie! If you've ever been to Florida, especially down in the Keys, you've been inundated with Key Lime products.  They make EVERYTHING Key Lime down there...from pie to candy to chocolate covered ice cream bars to cookies to sauces....the list goes on and on. And yes, there really is a difference between a Key Lime and a regular lime.  (I have to make a confession here that the lime slice in the picture is just a regular lime because I couldn't get any fresh Key Limes here where I live.  I had to use bottled juice to get the Key Lime flavor...busted!) A Key Lime is much smaller than a regular lime with a thin, smooth, greenish-yellow skin and gr...

My Mom died yesterday.  Her name was Schelby Jean Leakey Holliday.  She was born on December 15, 1941 and died at the age of 71.  She died from the side effects of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencecephalopathy (PML)--a very aggressive virus that is usually only seen in advanced AIDS patients.  But, my Mom had been on immunosuppressant drugs for about 20 years because of a kidney problem she had and her body just couldn't fight off the virus.  Basically, it's a brain-eating virus and that's what it did--it diminished her capabilities, took away all of her motor and cognitive skills and killed her. This is when I was about a year old and she was holding me.  She had severe health problems her entire life.  She was born sickly, with a collapsed lung and my Grandma was told by the doctors that she had to make her cry for over an hour every day so it would keep her lung inflated!  She developed scoliosis of the spine and had to have several back sur...