Chris Durnan, Visual Designs by Chris

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

A little under the weather & Gluten Free

Most know I have been a little under the weather as of late. Just alot has piled up. It has been so frustrating as I try to rest and dream more about what I want to accomplish. Last week I had laringytis and these fits of coughs. It was so bad that I sneezed this past weekend and my son came running out of the bedroom and said "are you choking?" I said it was a sneeze and his response was "ah oh... maybe you shouldn't do it like that. I was worried."

Also, our store newsletter came out this past weekend with a few goodies in it and some phenomenal salsa recipes included. yum. I can't wait to try those. I have a ton of veggies in my fridge because I participate in bountiful basket. Our goal is to eat all the veggies in the house. so we have make your own pizza night. My son sticks with the cheese and slices of ham maybe he'll add in a tomato or two. My husband and I will do our best to load them with veggies. I have some gluten free pizza square crusts by kinninnick. Oh man are they delish. They brown up and everything. So we take those and add away... My hubbies take last week was to use the swiss chard in the bountiful basket. So he fried up some bacon and used some of the grease to wilt the chard by tossing it together. just a little bit. Then put it on the pizza crust with chunks of provolone cheese and put it in the oven. His Pizza was soooo much better tasting then mine. Mine was yellow squash slices very thin (from the basket) thin slices of tomatoes, feta cheese, pesto sauce, mushrooms, scallions chopped and bacon bits on top. It was yummy until I bit into my hubbies. They were so much fun to make. Yep there wasn't any Red Sauce for on the pizza we just skipped that. yum yum.

This week there are a bunch of kiwi's in my basket and artichokes. I think with the salsa pack I ordered extra I will make calabacitas and grilled chicken for dinner tonight. An easy dish with lots of veggies and a little cheese on top. I must be starting to feel better I want to eat again.

So I am thinking after glancing at this post. I must be hungry. so maybe I should go eat some breakfast which leads me to another great adventure a few weeks ago. I went to a gluten free food faire here in Tucson. There was so much food that when I walked in the door and folks were jabbing "bread-like" products at me. I froze. I paniced. Could I really put those items in my mouth and not get sick. Especially the one that looked like a twinky? Well I did and yum yum. What a great morning. I couldn't eat many so I had a plastic bag I just kept throwing samples in left and right and when we got home the guys and I sat down and sampled. The items that stood out best to me.... Innocent Indulgence.. alot of gluten free desserts. The cheesecake I had was just to tart (I think it was keylime) for my boys, but it makes my tongue just pucker as I think about it now and it was yum. I went in search of a sandwich bread. This I think is the ultimate in the gluten free world. There is one I am dieing to try, but I really like to buy local. (I am thinking about breaking this rule) Canyon Bakehouse Bread has gotten so many rave reviews. But I went to the food faire in search of a sandwich bread. There are a few that stick out in my mind. One was by Gluten Free Creations. Excellent Bread and they had some lemon cookies that I nibbled on. Just absolutely delish. I bought a few half loafs and am able to eat an open face sandwich without feeling like a gut bomb. I have had to toast all of the breads I got, but after toasting totally edible and don't leave my tummy feeling miserable. Next time I head through Phoenix I will be making a pass at any of the places listed on their brochure to purchase more. My favorite bread from the Food Faire was French Meadow . The lady demoing the bread was running a toaster like a well oiled machine and wowing the crowd with the small of hot cinnamon raisin bread. And the white bread. WOW. It was delish. She stated that the breads could be found at Sunflower and a few others. I haven't seen them at Sunflower before and I have poured over the bread selection there. So I am gonna have to keep looking. For now I have a few more breads in my freezer that I purchased. One made with goat cheese. Yum yum. so I will review those later in the week....

And I am still hungry so I better go eat some breakfast. And then I am off to work on some more files. If you missed the newsletter sign up. you can join on the front page of the store and those looking for one of my files in store... there was a coupon in the newsletter good til the next one comes out.

I hope you are doing awesome!!!! have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!
Chris

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Chris Durnan, designer at www.visualdesignsbychris.com GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT files for your personal digital cutters for use with scrapbooking, cardmaking and other hobbies. Whatever your creative mind can come up with! My files work on many machines. Some of them are: Klik-n-kut, Pazzle, Wishblade, Silhouette, Cricut, Craft Robo. Some of the software involved with these machines are: Funtime, Scrapbooking, WinPC/Signlab, Inkscape, Create & Cut, Illustrator, KNK Studio, Robomaster, DesignMaster and the list goes on..... Enjoy! And our cutter file "freebies" are kept in the forum. We add to them as we can.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

An added bonus...

Hey every one.
Sharon, one of the grab bag designers this month, Added a perk for those on the fence about purchasing this month.

You can only get it through today with your purchase of the April Grab bag

This file has a title "My Favorite Recipes" that has 2 mats. a chef hat, apron, and container of utensils and a rolling pin. Then I got to thinking, I needed a title for the spine of the 3" 3 ring binder, So I added that one as well.

Here is link to get this file if you purchase the grab bag this weekend. Purchase will include download link for bonus file.
April Grab Bag

So stop on by and grab one! You’ love it…

Also, you can see the other previews for the grab bag in the store as well. Lots of yummy goodies in this set.

And for those who already purchased... You can download the additional file in the store... Visit your order history in the cart and download. There is a download tut on the front page of the store if you have never done it this way.

Enjoy!

Chris

http://visualdesignsbychris.blogspot.com

www.visualdesignsbychris.com

Membership Club $10 for 20 plus files SVG GSD KNK WPC AI SCUT

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Walking Walking

Well my son and I went for a walk yesterday it was quite entertaining. I need to walk every day. He can come with me and provide entertainment. So here is how it goes…

As I walk with my son by my side Sometimes holding my hand. Sometimes not. And his Freckles chasing along behind us. I wish my hubby had had a camera to watch us go. We just walked the drive around our arena, but still it was interesting…

Kiddo: Are you Ready?

Me: yep, ready…. As I tie my shoes.

Kiddo: Okay lets go ten laps.

Me: Okay yeah. I was thinking 4 today and I will work up to more each day.

Kiddo: look of disappointment… hmmm. Okay

So we walk.. we make it around the lap with the border collie dragging her ball. She is dragging it and bouncing it all over the place because it is actually a horse ball tied to a rope. She runs behind us once and almost wraps it around our legs. But we made it without toppling over. Wew.

Kiddo: Okay I am thinking one is good.
Me: What? What about ten.

Kiddo: Sheesh. You said only 4. Hold on.

Me: standing and waiting. Hm. Hm. Hm.

Kiddo: Okay I got my soccer ball. I’ll kick that.

Me: Okay good.

Kiddo: Did you see the tulips over there?

Me: Nope but you can show me.

Ends up the tulips were a cactus flowering brilliantly in a shade of purple that outdoes the sunset. Beautiful

Kiddo: It’s beautiful huh?

Me: Yep sure is. Pretty impressive.

We continue walking as he kicks the ball and the Freckles monster grabs it and runs and grabs it and runs. And the kiddo runs after her.. giggling and screaming at her to stop. Stop. Stop. Every giggle every scream seems to make her bounce up and gear up in delight even more.

We come around the bend of lap two.

Kiddo: Wew. Well I think that was like a mile. I am done. How about you?

Me: Yep. Almost a mile. I have a few more laps to do.

Kiddo: okay I’ll wait for you.

So as I walk around the laps of the arena my kiddo yells across.

HOW YA DOING MOM? Are you COMING MOM? Did you See the Tulips again MOM?

How many laps is that mom?

To cute.

Well at least I had a walking partner for the first few laps and then a coach for the last two.

On to another day of walking today.

Hope you are having an awesome day!