Two years ago, I blogged a week of Thanksgiving leading up to the holiday. This year, I would like to extend it to a month-long celebration of thankfulness. Every day of November, I'm going to update this post with another thing I'm thankful for. Feel free to join along in the comments!
This November, I'm thankful for...
1.) Appliances. Let's get this out of the way now because I could spend all month listing them off if I dragged it out. I am so blessed to be able to afford a washing machine and dryer, a dishwasher, and my little space heater. They make my life so much more comfortable.
2.) I'm thankful that I have such a good job. I'm in a rough spot because we have a lot of nurses and not a lot of babies right now. I was force-canceled today and while it was kind of like a snow-day for grownups, we can't afford for it to be a regular occurance. Since it's crazy to pray for sick babies (and stupid... not a fan when co-workers say things to that extent on Facebook), I will pray that our manager will stop hiring new people!!! We have the second-highest staffing numbers in the hospital and 14 patients. For real. So I'm thankful for my job, and I hope that I can keep it this winter when our numbers naturally dip anyway.
3.) That today, at least, I didn't wake up to snow on the ground. The cold, cold rain that started last night and is still dripping down is less than pleasant, but it's mentally easier to accept than snow this early in November.
4.) I'm so thankful I got a day off today to catch up on stats homework, even if it was only 2 of the 5 lessons I was hoping to complete. It's going to be a homework-filled weekend around here!
5.) The StayFocusd app on Google Chrome.
6.) The fun dinner plans we had with friends and family this weekend.
7.) I really wan't a fan of the 5pm sunset yesterday, but this morning I was thankful that it was somewhat light outside when I left for work at 6:20am.
8.) I'm so thankful for my Physical Therapist. She is stellar-- she listens to me, takes me seriously, and always finds a legitimate reason for my pain so I feel less crazy. And then most of the time she can get the pain to go away!
9.) I'm thankful that my Global Health class isn't overwhelmingly difficult (since my stats class is). I love my Global Health teacher (a Midwife who's stories make me question my choice to leave Midwifery school... until she mentions 24-hour on-call).
10.) I'm thankful for all the opportunities in my life, even if I'm not quite sure where they're taking me.
11.) For my friend Amanda-- we're so similar and I still forget sometimes that she lives in Kansas City now instead of 12 hours away!
12.) I'm thankful that even after Ross' stressful day, he was able to pray with me before bed and thank God for today. I love him!
13.) For our church and their morning services. Amen!
*I'm also thankful for and so proud of my brother Tommy, who turns 25 today!*
14.) I'm thankful that I got my homework done more than 12 hours before it was due :-)
15.) I'm thankful that I got to see my mom and my brother Tommy for a few hours this afternoon. I'm also glad that the hit-and-run accident I was in this morning wasn't worse (to clarify: I was hit, the driver behind me was at fault and ran).
16.) I'm thankful for my weekend premium position, and I'm hoping that I didn't trade out a friendship for 6 months of bigger paychecks.
17.) For my Global Health class. I really really like it. It definitely keeps me busy, and I'm learning a lot, but it's not necessarily a hard class. I love my teacher!
18.) For a heater and a warm apartment.
19.) I'm thankful for coffee.
20.) For a good assignment at work. I feel like real NICU nurse again.
21.) That Ross offered to drive me to and from work and even brought pizza home after I worked 3 shifts in a row!
22.) I'm thankful for accupuncture when antibiotics don't help my sinus headache.
23.) I'm also thankful for antibiotics ;-) I don't love taking them, but I'm ready to feel better!
24.) For my family's healthy Thanksgiving meal. Complete with a gluten-free rice dish that to ally satisfied my stuffing craving!
25.) So thankful for family to visit and celebrate with.
26.) I'm thankful for a husband who doesn't mind driving while I sleep.
27.) If I have to wait until the last minute to write a big paper, I'm thankful that there's at least a masochistic thrill I get from finishing after hours upon hours of work all at once ;-)
28.) I'm thankful for a good float day at work because I was so tired after staying up late to finish the aforementioned paper. I'm also thankful that I work with snuggly babies!
29.) A day off, and sunshine :o)
30.) For my brother Daniel, who turns 23 today. I'm so proud of him!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Month in Review: October
Finally, a month that didn't speed by! I can't believe I wrote my Indian Summer post 3 1/2 weeks ago. And the beginning of October seems like a long time ago. So much has happened between then and now! This month has been long and busy, in a good way for the most part. Did I meet the goals I set at the beginning of the month? Not quite. But it was still a good month in which I got outside to enjoy the changing of the seasons, started a grad school program I enjoy, and actually went out with friends more than once. Here are some more highlights I never got around to sharing:
Here are a few recipes I tried for the first time this month and loved:
These brussels sprouts with bacon grease instead of olive oil and 6 strips of bacon instead of pecans. SO good.
These pumpkin peanut butter bars, with an added 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/4 tsp salt mixed in.
We didn't have any Halloween plans, and I worked the day of, but I wore my spider earrings and my current primary patient's mom dressed her up as the sweetest Hershey's Kiss, which made my day.
Such a fun, productive, sunny month!
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| Lots and lots of squash were consumed this month. |
 | |
| I started allergy drops, which are sublingual and approximately 1,000 times less painful and more convenient than the shots I'd been getting. |
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| My friend Rachel celebrated her birthday at the Cashew. My coworkers are hilarious! |
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| Baby basil leaf from our successful basil "harvest." |
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| I got new running shoes, hoping they'd help my knee pain. |
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| They did not. |
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| I bought a $3 bag of kettle corn at the Ak-Sar-Ben Farmer's Market in Omaha with my mom. Such a good purchase! |
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| Our Hungarian hot peppers seem to be thriving in the sunny, dry fall air. Weird. |
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| Our friend Andy rocked the Cyclo-cross race we went to. |
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| Early October color change |
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| Sunset on a walk one night. |
These brussels sprouts with bacon grease instead of olive oil and 6 strips of bacon instead of pecans. SO good.
These pumpkin peanut butter bars, with an added 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/4 tsp salt mixed in.
We didn't have any Halloween plans, and I worked the day of, but I wore my spider earrings and my current primary patient's mom dressed her up as the sweetest Hershey's Kiss, which made my day.
Such a fun, productive, sunny month!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Starting out on a Journey {First Day of Class}
As I mentioned yesterday, I just started classes at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe. This school is an answer to prayer. I first looked into it the day I dropped my online classes at KU because they were literally the only school within a 1-hour driving range that offered classes in person. I was slightly skeptical since I hadn't heard of the school until we moved here and I heard a radio ad. But I have a co-worker who went to undergrad there and LOVED it. I talked to a few people in the Graduate offices and their program is fully accredited, all the classes are in person, and it's pretty affordable for a small Christian school.
Even better, the MSN program runs in 'mini-mesters' which means each class meets for 4 hours once a week for 7 weeks and then you start your next class. So I can be part-time, take classes one-at-a-time, yet still get 2 classes in per semester? Sign me up! This also meant that I could start in October instead of waiting for a new semester to start in January. AND if I need to take a mini-mester off, I won't be months or years behind in the program like I would have been at KU. I was sad about that fact that saying yes to 3 years at KU meant saying no to travel, mission trips, and more. Can I really have the best of both worlds? Is this too good to be true?
I had my first class last night: Health Promotion for a Global Society. I love it. Not only are we discussing "the influence of biologic, environmental, and societal factors on health and wellness of individuals, families, and communities," but we will explore "the idea of professional nursing as a ministry through vocation." Sounds like just what I need.
And, irony of ironies, I showed up to class last night only to find out that the teacher is a Midwife. At the Birth Center I was lusting after when dreaming of a career as a Midwife. I'm not sure what God is trying to say to me, but when I was driving home after class, I heard Jeremy Camp's "Walk by Faith" on the radio. And I realized that for now, all I can do is "walk by faith, even when I cannot see because this broken road prepares (God's) will for me." I am so thankful for His endless love! He has a plan for me even when I can't see it.
And just for fun, here's a video our teacher showed in class last night. I guess statistics can be useful ;-)
Even better, the MSN program runs in 'mini-mesters' which means each class meets for 4 hours once a week for 7 weeks and then you start your next class. So I can be part-time, take classes one-at-a-time, yet still get 2 classes in per semester? Sign me up! This also meant that I could start in October instead of waiting for a new semester to start in January. AND if I need to take a mini-mester off, I won't be months or years behind in the program like I would have been at KU. I was sad about that fact that saying yes to 3 years at KU meant saying no to travel, mission trips, and more. Can I really have the best of both worlds? Is this too good to be true?
I had my first class last night: Health Promotion for a Global Society. I love it. Not only are we discussing "the influence of biologic, environmental, and societal factors on health and wellness of individuals, families, and communities," but we will explore "the idea of professional nursing as a ministry through vocation." Sounds like just what I need.
And, irony of ironies, I showed up to class last night only to find out that the teacher is a Midwife. At the Birth Center I was lusting after when dreaming of a career as a Midwife. I'm not sure what God is trying to say to me, but when I was driving home after class, I heard Jeremy Camp's "Walk by Faith" on the radio. And I realized that for now, all I can do is "walk by faith, even when I cannot see because this broken road prepares (God's) will for me." I am so thankful for His endless love! He has a plan for me even when I can't see it.
And just for fun, here's a video our teacher showed in class last night. I guess statistics can be useful ;-)
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
I owe you an update
For those who are interested, I know I never really explained why I was going to school to be a Midwife, and then I wasn't. To make a long story short(er), when I got admitted to the Certified Nurse Midwife program at KU, I had conflicting feelings. I chalked them up to fear and anticipation but the closer the start date got, the more I felt like I wasn't making the right choice.
You see, Midwifery is something I'm very passionate about. It's why I went to nursing school in the first place. However, the NICU has claimed me for now and I wouldn't have it any other way. I got my CNM program acceptance letter in May but as the summer went on and I prepared for the start of school, I started dreading the day I'd have to say goodbye to the NICU. Granted, that day was still 2 years down the road and I kept telling myself that I could stay and work PRN. But the fact of the matter is that between office days and the on-call hours Midwives take, I wouldn't have time for that. And every time I came home with a sweet work story to share with Ross (we had a lot of cute babies this summer), he would say that this is the perfect job for me and I'd wonder why I was leaving such a good thing.
I also grew close to a few NICU moms this summer (mothers of the aforementioned adorable babies). I love and respect 2 of these women especially and while they were happy that I got into grad school and was pursing a dream of mine, they did both question why I was leaving a job I so clearly love. And to put aside my modesty for a moment, both of these NICU moms who had been through so much made it a point to tell me that my care changed their babies' stay. That I comforted them, educated them, and so dearly loved their babies that they felt comfortable with the fact that I was there when they couldn't be. Strike 1 to the idea of Midwifery school, because that would mean a very real possibility of leaving the NICU forever.
Those comments stuck in my head and made me start questioning my choice even more. Every time I had a quiet minute to snuggle I'd wonder if I could leave this for a job in which I only form a bond with the mom and not the baby. In late July, I finally got the opportunity to shadow a Midwife in town. I spent a typical 8-5 day with her and loved it! She was so passionate about her work and it made me realize that where your heart is, is where your job should be. Having never been a Midwife, I'm not sure if I would like it more or less than my current job, and that's quite a gamble. Then when we were talking over lunch, I learned that the Midwife I was following worked part-time, which meant 2 office days a week and six 24-hour on-calls a month. Wait. What?! Theoretically if she got called in for a labor and delivery 6 times a month, she would be working as much as I did and I'm full-time!
One reason an Advanced Practice job attracted me was the idea of office hours with weekends and holidays off. Yes, I know I'm beyond lucky to work 3 days a week for 13 hours at a time. And even though I'm at the hospital at least one additional day a week for some meeting or class or continuing education, I still have it pretty good. Except for the evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. I miss a lot on the days I do work and when we have kids one day, part-time office hours will be very appealing. But I obviously wasn't thinking it through because Midwives aren't your typical Advanced Practitioner. They have quite the demanding on-call schedule and for good reason. But for some reason the reality of it caught me off guard. Strike 2.
Finally, the head of the Midwifery program threw a BBQ at her house the weekend before school started and Ross and I went with our friends Chris and Amanda (Amanda and I went to nursing school together and she's also pursuing the CNM path). I loved meeting all the women there and the students clearly loved being so close to graduating and "catching babies" on their own. But when I started asking them how they liked online classes, their attitude changed. Online classes had been my biggest fear from the get-go. Studying for my RNC test on my own and getting through this self-led online graduate stats class has been hard enough. I didn't know if I could continue this complete self-motivation for 3 more years! I need to sit in a classroom and see and discuss and take notes in order to actually retain what I learn. And the current CNM students just confirmed my fears. They said things like, "I thought online classes would be more flexible but I think they take up more time than just going to class would have," or "ask me again how I like it in 3 years when I'm a few years removed from it." *Gulp* Not the reassurance I wanted. Strike 3.
By the end of the BBQ I was no longer having fun. I was panicking internally and grasping at straws. I really respect the woman in charge of the program who was hosting the party. I had an admission interview with her back in April and have kept in touch ever since. During the party, she was talking to someone else about the expenses of malpractice and how unstable a job at a Birth Center actually was in comparison to being a "laborist" alongside doctors and residents at a hospital (which was suddenly shift work at the hospital again which I was trying to avoid). I realized I do love my hospital employee insurance and had banked on having it as we raise kids one day who will surely be as accident-prone as Iwas am. Yet I wanted to work at a Birth Center? Clearly those goals don't mesh.
So I asked the woman it it was possible to get through school, keep my credentials current but not practice as a Midwife right now, and then try to find a job in ten years or so. As gently as possible, she said I would have a hard time finding a job if I waited more than a year or so after getting out of school. When she said that, I knew Midwifery school wasn't going to happen and I dropped my classes the next morning.
After a few sleepless nights, lots of tears, and lots of prayers, I started looking into other options. A lot of people have asked, why not Neonatal Nurse Practitioner? While it is also a job I admire, and I'd love to participate in rounds like they do and learn something from Dr. P every day, I just can't see myself doing it. What I love the most about my job is the relationships with the parents and while the NNPs have more privileges and more responsibilities (I'd love to go to deliveries) they don't spend as much time with the patients and families as we do. Sure I'd be in the same field, but with a very different job. AND I'd still be working nights, weekends, and holidays. In fact, as a new NNP there's a very good chance I would be back on night shift all over again.
Pediatric NP has crossed my mind as well as Women's Health NP. But I'm so undecided and committing to a specialty like that would still mean leaving the NICU. So I am learning to be at peace with my decision to be 'just' a bedside nurse for now. I guess it's been ingrained in my head for so long that if I'm smart enough to be a nurse practitioner, I should be. But that's not the whole story. In reality, we need nurses who WANT to be bedside nurses. We need nurses who are knowledgeable about what they're doing and are willing to take the time to explain it to the parents after months of high stress and little sleep. And one perk of being at the bedside is that you learn which parents get scared by the big words and which parents are offended when things are too 'dumbed down' for them.
Yesterday I started classes at MidAmerica Nazarene University and in two years (God-willing) I will have my MSN in Nursing Education so I can teach clinicals on the side and help other students become good RNs with a passion for what they do. After all, if every intelligent RN left the floor for advanced practice, your quality of care would be in a very sorry state.
Clearly, I've been needing to get all this out for a while. If your eyes glazed over 2 paragraphs in, I'm sorry! But I'm excited to be starting the next step of this journey.
You see, Midwifery is something I'm very passionate about. It's why I went to nursing school in the first place. However, the NICU has claimed me for now and I wouldn't have it any other way. I got my CNM program acceptance letter in May but as the summer went on and I prepared for the start of school, I started dreading the day I'd have to say goodbye to the NICU. Granted, that day was still 2 years down the road and I kept telling myself that I could stay and work PRN. But the fact of the matter is that between office days and the on-call hours Midwives take, I wouldn't have time for that. And every time I came home with a sweet work story to share with Ross (we had a lot of cute babies this summer), he would say that this is the perfect job for me and I'd wonder why I was leaving such a good thing.
I also grew close to a few NICU moms this summer (mothers of the aforementioned adorable babies). I love and respect 2 of these women especially and while they were happy that I got into grad school and was pursing a dream of mine, they did both question why I was leaving a job I so clearly love. And to put aside my modesty for a moment, both of these NICU moms who had been through so much made it a point to tell me that my care changed their babies' stay. That I comforted them, educated them, and so dearly loved their babies that they felt comfortable with the fact that I was there when they couldn't be. Strike 1 to the idea of Midwifery school, because that would mean a very real possibility of leaving the NICU forever.
Those comments stuck in my head and made me start questioning my choice even more. Every time I had a quiet minute to snuggle I'd wonder if I could leave this for a job in which I only form a bond with the mom and not the baby. In late July, I finally got the opportunity to shadow a Midwife in town. I spent a typical 8-5 day with her and loved it! She was so passionate about her work and it made me realize that where your heart is, is where your job should be. Having never been a Midwife, I'm not sure if I would like it more or less than my current job, and that's quite a gamble. Then when we were talking over lunch, I learned that the Midwife I was following worked part-time, which meant 2 office days a week and six 24-hour on-calls a month. Wait. What?! Theoretically if she got called in for a labor and delivery 6 times a month, she would be working as much as I did and I'm full-time!
One reason an Advanced Practice job attracted me was the idea of office hours with weekends and holidays off. Yes, I know I'm beyond lucky to work 3 days a week for 13 hours at a time. And even though I'm at the hospital at least one additional day a week for some meeting or class or continuing education, I still have it pretty good. Except for the evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. I miss a lot on the days I do work and when we have kids one day, part-time office hours will be very appealing. But I obviously wasn't thinking it through because Midwives aren't your typical Advanced Practitioner. They have quite the demanding on-call schedule and for good reason. But for some reason the reality of it caught me off guard. Strike 2.
Finally, the head of the Midwifery program threw a BBQ at her house the weekend before school started and Ross and I went with our friends Chris and Amanda (Amanda and I went to nursing school together and she's also pursuing the CNM path). I loved meeting all the women there and the students clearly loved being so close to graduating and "catching babies" on their own. But when I started asking them how they liked online classes, their attitude changed. Online classes had been my biggest fear from the get-go. Studying for my RNC test on my own and getting through this self-led online graduate stats class has been hard enough. I didn't know if I could continue this complete self-motivation for 3 more years! I need to sit in a classroom and see and discuss and take notes in order to actually retain what I learn. And the current CNM students just confirmed my fears. They said things like, "I thought online classes would be more flexible but I think they take up more time than just going to class would have," or "ask me again how I like it in 3 years when I'm a few years removed from it." *Gulp* Not the reassurance I wanted. Strike 3.
By the end of the BBQ I was no longer having fun. I was panicking internally and grasping at straws. I really respect the woman in charge of the program who was hosting the party. I had an admission interview with her back in April and have kept in touch ever since. During the party, she was talking to someone else about the expenses of malpractice and how unstable a job at a Birth Center actually was in comparison to being a "laborist" alongside doctors and residents at a hospital (which was suddenly shift work at the hospital again which I was trying to avoid). I realized I do love my hospital employee insurance and had banked on having it as we raise kids one day who will surely be as accident-prone as I
So I asked the woman it it was possible to get through school, keep my credentials current but not practice as a Midwife right now, and then try to find a job in ten years or so. As gently as possible, she said I would have a hard time finding a job if I waited more than a year or so after getting out of school. When she said that, I knew Midwifery school wasn't going to happen and I dropped my classes the next morning.
After a few sleepless nights, lots of tears, and lots of prayers, I started looking into other options. A lot of people have asked, why not Neonatal Nurse Practitioner? While it is also a job I admire, and I'd love to participate in rounds like they do and learn something from Dr. P every day, I just can't see myself doing it. What I love the most about my job is the relationships with the parents and while the NNPs have more privileges and more responsibilities (I'd love to go to deliveries) they don't spend as much time with the patients and families as we do. Sure I'd be in the same field, but with a very different job. AND I'd still be working nights, weekends, and holidays. In fact, as a new NNP there's a very good chance I would be back on night shift all over again.
Pediatric NP has crossed my mind as well as Women's Health NP. But I'm so undecided and committing to a specialty like that would still mean leaving the NICU. So I am learning to be at peace with my decision to be 'just' a bedside nurse for now. I guess it's been ingrained in my head for so long that if I'm smart enough to be a nurse practitioner, I should be. But that's not the whole story. In reality, we need nurses who WANT to be bedside nurses. We need nurses who are knowledgeable about what they're doing and are willing to take the time to explain it to the parents after months of high stress and little sleep. And one perk of being at the bedside is that you learn which parents get scared by the big words and which parents are offended when things are too 'dumbed down' for them.
Yesterday I started classes at MidAmerica Nazarene University and in two years (God-willing) I will have my MSN in Nursing Education so I can teach clinicals on the side and help other students become good RNs with a passion for what they do. After all, if every intelligent RN left the floor for advanced practice, your quality of care would be in a very sorry state.
Clearly, I've been needing to get all this out for a while. If your eyes glazed over 2 paragraphs in, I'm sorry! But I'm excited to be starting the next step of this journey.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Hava Nagila {Let us Rejoice}
One of my best friends from high school got married this past Saturday. What a celebration!
Tina is Catholic and Ben is Jewish, so we got to see a fun mix of wedding traditions.
And the reception at Omaha Country Club was outstanding!
I remember driving around town with Tina in high school discussing what our future husbands would be like. Yes, we had mental checklists. No, we didn't get everything we wished for. But we did get everything we hoped for. Congratulations Tina and Ben!
Tina is Catholic and Ben is Jewish, so we got to see a fun mix of wedding traditions.
And the reception at Omaha Country Club was outstanding!
I remember driving around town with Tina in high school discussing what our future husbands would be like. Yes, we had mental checklists. No, we didn't get everything we wished for. But we did get everything we hoped for. Congratulations Tina and Ben!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Too soon
This morning it was 30 degrees but "felt like" 25. I broke out my winter coat for my walk in to work. It's only been in the closet since the first week of May. Getting it out after less than 6 months is too soon! Cold, cold, go away.
On the other hand, you'd think that the frost we got this morning (I cringed while typing that) would eliminate my terrible fall allergies. Not so, my friends.
On the other hand, you'd think that the frost we got this morning (I cringed while typing that) would eliminate my terrible fall allergies. Not so, my friends.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Gluten-Free Cornbread
What better way to follow up one 'corny' post than with one about corn bread? After playing at the corn maze all afternoon yesterday, I was thrilled to come home to a crock-pot full of chili that I'd started that morning. However, chili isn't the same without cornbread. I bought a bag of locally grown and ground blue cornmeal as well as a carton of farm-fresh eggs from the farmer's market this Friday with cornbread in mind.
Since going gluten-free, I've tried several store-bought GF cornbread mixes, but they were chewy or dry or basically not as wonderful as the beloved Jiffy cornbread mix I grew up on. So I bit the bullet and made cornbread from scratch, which I've never done before. And the results were so fantastic, I doubt I'll buy a boxed mix again!
This recipe was borne from an accumulation of Google searches and a stroke of good luck. Fresh ingredients don't hurt, either.
1 cup oat flour (you can buy this at the store, or just toss a cup of raw gluten-free oatmeal in the food processor)
3/4 cup finely ground corn meal (mine was blue, hence the less-than-golden coloring)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xantham gum (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs honey
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a pie tin on the top rack.
Mix the oat flour, corn meal, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt well in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, melt the butter and honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy and then slowly blend in the butter/honey mixture and the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
Remove the pan from the oven and coat lightly with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan (it will be as moist as cake batter) and bake for 16-20 minutes.
This recipe is everything I could want out of cornbread: a slightly chewy crust and a soft, fine-crumb center. In fact, this was much less crumbly than other gluten-filled cornbread I've had in the past! It even earned a compliment from Ross after I kept obsessively asking him if he'd eat it again and if he could tell it was gluten-free. He said he can't even tell that my recipes are gluten-free anymore. After my recent cookie success and now this bread, I hope that means that my recipes are just plain good and not that he's so used to sub-par baked goods these days that anything decent becomes delicious.
Anyway. I hope you love this bread as much as I did!
Since going gluten-free, I've tried several store-bought GF cornbread mixes, but they were chewy or dry or basically not as wonderful as the beloved Jiffy cornbread mix I grew up on. So I bit the bullet and made cornbread from scratch, which I've never done before. And the results were so fantastic, I doubt I'll buy a boxed mix again!
This recipe was borne from an accumulation of Google searches and a stroke of good luck. Fresh ingredients don't hurt, either.
Gluten-Free Cornbread
1 cup oat flour (you can buy this at the store, or just toss a cup of raw gluten-free oatmeal in the food processor)
3/4 cup finely ground corn meal (mine was blue, hence the less-than-golden coloring)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xantham gum (optional)
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
3 Tbs honey
1 cup milk
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and place a pie tin on the top rack.
Mix the oat flour, corn meal, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt well in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, melt the butter and honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy and then slowly blend in the butter/honey mixture and the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated.
Remove the pan from the oven and coat lightly with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan (it will be as moist as cake batter) and bake for 16-20 minutes.
This recipe is everything I could want out of cornbread: a slightly chewy crust and a soft, fine-crumb center. In fact, this was much less crumbly than other gluten-filled cornbread I've had in the past! It even earned a compliment from Ross after I kept obsessively asking him if he'd eat it again and if he could tell it was gluten-free. He said he can't even tell that my recipes are gluten-free anymore. After my recent cookie success and now this bread, I hope that means that my recipes are just plain good and not that he's so used to sub-par baked goods these days that anything decent becomes delicious.
Anyway. I hope you love this bread as much as I did!
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