Ever since we got back from our trip Chris has shown signs of a developing wheat allergy, so we’ve tried to put the brakes on his wheat intake as much as possible. Originally, I was planning on making him an apple pie, but I didn’t have the energy to try something that new and risk failure (I’ve learned the hard way that special occasions are not the time to be daring in the kitchen!).

So, instead I made apple crisp, which is essentially apple pie with a sugar topping. The best part about a crisp as opposed to a pie is that you can pretty much do whatever you want– adjust the recipe below to suit your tastes!

I replaced the traditional oats with chopped walnuts, just to be safe, and served it with a scoop of French Vanilla ice cream. Is there any other way to eat apple crisp?

Gluten-Free Apple Crisp:
Makes 10-16 servings

4 Fuji Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Rice flour
2 tsp Ground cinnamon
3-4 tbls Fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 stick Butter, softened
3/4 cup Rice flour
1 cup Walnuts, chopped
3 Tbls Sugar
3 Tbls Brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In a large bowl, combine first set of ingredients. Stir until apples are completely coated. The juices from the apples and lemon should be a little viscous; if they look runny, add more flour. Then pour in a 9×12″ glass baking dish and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine second set of ingredients. Cream them together and crumble over the top of the apples.

4. Bake at 375 for approximately 30 minutes, or until delicious.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Last week my good friend Jillian invited me to hang out while she got a tattoo of Henry Darger’s Vivian Girls around her wrist. It took hours but was well worth the wait! Mel did an amazing job and I must say, I’m quite jealous.

Funny how addictive tattoos are– you can sit around for hours watching your friend suffer and all it does is make you want one, too!

More photos here.

This was the day that I learned one can of tuna is way too much tuna for a single sandwich. It was rough at some points, but I still ate the whole thing!

I also recently learned that what goes into a tuna salad isn’t exactly universal. I prefer the basics– mayo, mustard, salt and pepper– but I also love raisins and celery, which is apparently an abomination to some folks around here!

What do you like to put in yours?

Here’s a new game for you to try, should you and your friends ever get bored and feel the need to inflict each other with pain. Grab a football and stand on opposite ends of a driveway or yard. Take turns throwing the ball back and forth, but instead of catching the ball, let the other person do their best to use you as a human target. Hilarity ensues! Unless, of course, you’re the one getting hit. Ouch! That looks like it hurts…

Oops! I’ve just been informed that I forgot the cardinal rule of the game: if you’re a boy, you can cover your “nards.” And that’s it!

For a better view of the carnage, click here.

Even though my mom graduated from UCDavis a decade ago with a degree in Fine Art (emphasis in Printmaking, so that’s where I get that from!), she still takes classes every semester at the local community college just to keep up with the circle of local artists.

We visited her in the print lab of Shasta College the other week, where she watercolors every other day, and she showed us some of the new paintings she’s working on.

Her paintings are based off the series of Dick and Jane books. I only got to snap one, but it’s amazing! However, it is NSFW and contains nudity, so if you’re at work (Jillian!) abusing your access to the internet (Christina!), you’ve been forewarned!

Anyway, this new series of hers is based on the idea that “in some families … everyone goes about their daily business while chaos and confusion abound. For [her] it was [her] step father who constantly felt it necessary to demean and humiliate.”

She also has a blog, From the Desk of Debbie, where she chronicles her way through art making. Check out the photos from her series of classic black and white TV shows!

You rock, Mama.