Brownies

• ½ cup butter, melted

• ¾ cup allulose or monk fruit sweetener

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 cup gluten-free 1-to-1 flour

Lemon Glaze

• ¾ cup powdered Swerve

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a 9 × 12-inch baking pan. This recipe makes thinner brownies.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, allulose or monk fruit sweetener, eggs, lemon juice, salt and lemon extract until smooth.

4. Stir in the gluten-free flour until just combined. Do not overmix.

5. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

6. Bake for 11–13 minutes, or until they are no longer translucent. Don’t overbake.

Lemon Glaze

1. Whisk together the powdered Swerve, fresh lemon juice, and lemon extract until smooth.

2. As soon as the brownies come out of the oven, spread the glaze evenly over the top while they are still hot.

3. Let the glaze set before cutting into squares.

Notes

• These have a dense, fudgy texture rather than a cake-like texture.

• For the brightest lemon flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice.

• Store covered at room temperature for 1–2 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.

Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 cup butter, melted

• 3 eggs

• 1½ cups allulose erythritol blend

• 1 tablespoon almond extract

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1½ cups almond milk

• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds

• 1½ teaspoons baking powder

• 2½ cups gluten-free organic flour

Orange Almond Glaze

• ½ cup orange juice

• 1 cup Swerve Confectioners (powdered monk fruit sweetener)

• 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, allulose erythritol blend, almond extract, salt, almond milk, poppy seeds, and baking powder. Add the gluten-free flour and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.

4. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners, filling each about ⅔ to ¾ full. This recipe makes 24 muffins.

5. Bake for 12–16 minutes, or until the muffins are just cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Orange Almond Glaze

1. While the muffins are baking, whisk together the orange juice, powdered Swerve, and almond extract until smooth.

2. As soon as the muffins come out of the oven and are still warm, poke several holes in the top of each muffin with a toothpick.

3. Spoon the glaze over each muffin, allowing it to soak into the holes.

4. Let the muffins cool slightly before serving.

Notes

• This recipe can also be baked as a loaf instead of muffins.

• If making a loaf, keep the oven at 350°F and bake longer, checking for doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center.

• The warm muffins absorb the glaze beautifully, giving them extra moisture and a bright orange flavor.

Happy birthday Taryn!!🥳 Taryn is a good friend I’ve known for years, and because of her, I met her aunt, Marilyn, who lives in Huntington Beach. Her aunt is so very talented. In fact, she has been practicing Ikebana since 1995. After earning five student certificates, she progressed to teaching in 2009 and has been teaching ever since. Her current rank is Kōmon (Master), and she hopes to apply for Riji (Grand Master), the highest rank, in 2028. She posts her work when she has shows, and it is always breathtaking! I’ve loved learning more about Ikebana because it’s so much more than arranging flowers. They use flowers, branches, leaves, and other organic, living materials to create these incredible works of art. And some of them are HUGE!! You really don’t understand the scale from the pictures. But one of the things I find most fascinating is that after putting all of that thought, work, and creativity into these enormous living pieces, when the show is over, they take them apart. They don’t keep them. They break them down and when they are ready, start over with something completely new. Somehow, knowing that they only exist for that small window of time makes them even more precious and amazing to me. But Marilyn herself is just as special as her work. She is one of the kindest, most wonderful, positive, energetic people I know. She’s one of those people where you walk into a room and you can just feel her energy. She makes everyone feel loved and welcome, and she doesn’t even have to try. It’s simply who she is. In fact, when we went to Angel’s 50th birthday in Pacific Beach, Marilyn drove down with her son Erik just to meet us and be part of the celebration. I also went on a trip with Taryn and her parents for one of Marilyn’s shows, and we were fortunate enough to see everything in person and see Marilyn there with her team and students.

I will say, however, that I contributed to the weekend in my own special way. The first night we got there, I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I flushed the toilet, and apparently that was the moment the plumbing decided that after several decades of service, it had completed its final successful flush. I ended up flooding the main level of Marilyn’s house. Luckily, it was tile. The next day, while Marilyn and Taryn’s parents were in L.A. setting up the show, Erik, Taryn, and I got to have our own little adventure finding a laundromat while the plumbing was being fixed, along with some local bakeries. It was a very exciting trip. 😂 But I love Marilyn with all my heart. She is such a wonderful person and so incredibly talented, and I hope everyone gets a chance to see the beautiful work she creates. If you’d like to see more, here is the link to her profile where she posts much of her work: https://www.facebook.com/marilyn.okaneko.drageset

I think maybe I should move in with my egg lady and her husband. Every time I go there, they fascinate me. Today I went, and I only got six dozen eggs this time. When I got there, I saw 40 or more white birds in a pen together. My first thought was, please tell me they are not for food. I asked him about them and he said, “Oh yeah, there's a local fellow that sells homing pigeons, so I got some from him.” And he actually ended up getting several for free because he had sold some to someone else who wasn't taking very good care of them, so they kept going back to the original owner. I asked if there was a demand I was unaware of for homing pigeons, and he said they like to take them to the grandkids' houses, and then they fly home. He just thinks it's a fun hobby, and I love it!🕊️

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Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter

• ½ cup milk (or buttermilk)

• 1½ cups allulose-erythritol sweetener

• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• ¼ cup sugar-free chocolate chips

• ¾ cup unsweetened peanut butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 2½ cups gluten-free sprouted rolled oats

Directions

1. Line a 10 × 14-inch pan with parchment paper or wax paper.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, milk, sweetener, cocoa powder, and kosher salt.

3. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once it reaches a full boil, continue boiling for 1 minute.

4. Remove from the heat.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and vanilla until completely smooth.

6. Add the gluten-free sprouted rolled oats and stir until every oat is well coated.

7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.

8. Refrigerate until completely firm.

9. Lift out using the parchment or wax paper, cut into bars, and enjoy!

Tips

• For thicker cookie bars, use a 9 × 12-inch pan instead of a 10 × 14-inch pan.

• Store in the refrigerator for the best texture.

• These freeze beautifully and are delicious straight from the freezer.

• If using natural peanut butter, stir it well before measuring.

• Because they’re rich, cutting them into smaller bars works well.

I was on social media, and a post popped up that said, “I’m obsessed.” I clicked on it, and it was a lady that was wearing gingham, sleeping in gingham, everything in her house was gingham. And I realized I also have a strange obsession with it myself, from growing up. I had a pink gingham dress that I wore until it was threadbare that my mom made in second grade. The pic also shows the one and only time my dad was ever allowed to cut my hair, which is a whole other situation. I texted my niece and sent the online video to her. And she agreed she was also obsessed and sent me a picture of her wearing gingham that day (I was wearing my shorts that are gingham, I have three pairs). Then I saw her mom, my sister, and was telling her, and she said, “Don’t you remember I made you both matching outfits?” My oldest sister is 10 years older than me, and her daughter is 10 years younger. I found the pictures. My nephew even got a matching bow tie! While we were sitting at a baby shower, there was a gingham dress hanging on the wall, and I sent a picture to my niece, and she said, “My daughter has that dress!” It’s the little things in life.🥰

I've had teeth on my mind a lot lately. Two of my boys have recently had a serious

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Gluten-Free Sugar Cookie Bars

Soft, dense sugar cookie bars with a rich cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted

• 1½ cups allulose monk fruit blend

• 2 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt

• 2½ cups gluten-free flour

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cube (½ cup) butter, softened

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp almond extract

• 3 cups Swerve Confectioners Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, allulose monk fruit blend, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract.

3. Stir in the baking powder and salt.

4. Add the gluten-free flour and mix just until combined.

5. Spread evenly into a 10 × 14-inch pan.

6. Bake for 14–18 minutes. Do not overcook. These are meant to be a dense sugar cookie bar.

7. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

2. Mix in the vanilla and almond extract.

3. Gradually beat in the Swerve Confectioners Sugar until smooth and creamy.

4. Frost the bars only after they have cooled completely.

Tip: These bars are intentionally more dense than a traditional cake-like cookie bar, giving them a classic sugar cookie texture with a creamy frosting on top.

I was talking to Delilah, and she told me she wanted to live on a ranch. She wanted six kids, a whole bunch of chickens, a tortoise because they live a long time, tanks full of fish, dogs, a bunch of other animals, and a pool. Anyway, I told her she needed to come with me to visit her uncle. I take my mom to visit him and his family once a year, and they live in the Mojave Desert, past Death Valley. He has six kids, 24 chickens, and he built his own coop after he built a really cool treehouse. Did I mention he’s a rocket scientist? They have a tortoise that’s about 60 years old now.

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Lemon Drizzle Poppy Seed Muffins

Makes 20 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free baking flour

• ¾ cup allulose

• 2 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 3 Tbsp poppy seeds

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup butter, melted

• ¾ cup full-fat sour cream

• ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1 tsp vanilla

• ½ tsp lemon extract

• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Lemon Drizzle

• ¾ cup powdered Swerve Confectioners

• 3–4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. Add all the ingredients except the flour together and mix well.

3. Add the flour and mix just until combined.

4. Fill muffin cups 75–80% full.

5. Let the batter rest for 15–20 minutes.

6. Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then reduce the oven to 375°F and bake for 8 more minutes.

7. Let the muffins cool for 4 minutes.

8. Stir together the powdered Swerve and lemon juice until smooth, then spoon the drizzle over the warm muffins.

Monkey Business Bars

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened

• 2 ripe bananas

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• ½ cup Truvia Brown Sugar or Swerve Brown Sugar

• ¼ cup allulose or monk fruit sweetener

• 1¼ cups gluten-free flour

• 2 cups gluten-free old-fashioned oats

• 1 cup raisins

• Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease or line a 10 × 14-inch baking pan.

3. In a blender, blend the bananas and egg until smooth.

4. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, Truvia (or Swerve) brown sugar, allulose (or monk fruit), vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

5. Pour the banana mixture into the butter mixture and mix until well combined.

6. Mix in the gluten-free flour.

7. Stir in the gluten-free oats.

8. Fold in the raisins and nuts, if using.

9. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

10. Bake for 12–14 minutes. Slightly underbake them to keep the bars soft and moist.

11. Let cool before cutting into bars.

These are meant to stay soft and chewy, so don’t wait for them to become deeply golden before taking them out of the oven.

Sunday started off with a bang!💥 I have some really amazing people in my life. The backstory on how I became so close with Mark is that after I got divorced, we ended up having to sell the house. We didn't think it was going to go through, and then it did a week before Christmas. Without notice, they wanted us out. I didn't have anywhere to live in the immediate future where I could keep my kids with me. This was actually my boyfriend's best friend at the time, (over 3 years ago now) and he lived in a large house in Eagle by himself. He called and basically said, “please come stay with me while you find a place to live. Bring your dogs, bring your kids. I have the room." He also decided to adopt a 5-month-old puppy the day we moved in. You can imagine the growing pains for everyone! I’m sure it was hardest on him, but he didn’t show it and was such a gracious host. He is literally one of my best friends now. He's one of the most generous, big-hearted, thoughtful people I know. He also read last week's post and said he froze his credit years ago, after the agencies confused him with someone else that had his name and said it was the best decision ever!

Now back to the bang!💥 His dog’s name is Sylvia and he loves her like family, as everyone should.💙 Sylvia is four years old. He was commiserating with me about Bear and what we went through last week, and he had texted me before I got out of bed on Sunday to tell me he had had his four hours in the emergency room because she had been throwing up blood. But after four hours and only seeing the nurse and her not vomiting again, they suggested he go home and make an appointment for urgent care the next day, which he did. They think a blood vessel broke in her esophagus, but she has been doing really well. But poor guy, it's so scary when our fur babies are in peril!

I went to the gym after having Delilah spend the night and afterwards, I had a return at Walmart. In line, I was super excited because the guy doing the returns had this huge colorful tattoo that looked like a crest on his chest. I could see the top of it but,

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Lemon Blueberry Corn Cakes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup melted butter

• 1/2 cup allulose

• 3 eggs

• 3/4 cup cottage cheese

• 2 Laughing Cow Light wedges

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon extract

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 14 ounces almond milk

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups masa harina (a finely ground corn flour that gives these more of a cake texture than a traditional fluffy muffin)

• 2 cups blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, allulose, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, almond milk, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a blender, blend the eggs, cottage cheese, and Laughing Cow wedges until smooth.

5. Pour the blended mixture into the bowl and mix well.

6. Add the masa harina and stir until fully combined.

7. Fold in the blueberries gently with a spoon.

8. Fill the muffin liners about 80% full.

9. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until the tops are set and lightly golden.

10. Let cool before serving.

Notes

• These have more of a soft lemon-blueberry corn cake texture than a traditional light, fluffy muffin.

• Fold in the blueberries by hand if you want them to stay whole. If you use a mixer, the batter will turn purple, which is also kind of fun if you want to lean into the blueberry situation.

My daughter went paddleboarding with her friend to celebrate. When they decided to stop and go get a cold drink, they were in the drive through ordering when they realized they’d been robbed. The thieves didn't steal everything, they got in their purses and took the credit cards, cash, gift cards, her school ID, her insurance card, and even her school login information. It was incredibly disheartening, to say the least. But we'll revisit that story in a few days. So we went to bed, and it was still the perfect day.

On Monday, someone showed up to fix our air conditioning. And of course, I got up at 6:30 a.m., shut it off, turned it on, and then it blew cold for four hours until he got here. Thank goodness, it still shut off before it should have. I didn’t want to be the one crying wolf, but I had several witnesses to the disgusting heat of the weekend! He looked at it for about two seconds and knew what was wrong, something with the drain, which we'd already had the original people come and fix twice. Anyway, the guy was telling me that the warranty I have had recently made a homeowner wait two weeks to get their AC fixed. They're very hard to work with, and they don't cover hardly anything. Needless to say, I'm on the hunt for a better home warranty service. But we were all so ecstatic to have the AC back, and we really needed it gone so we could appreciate how amazing it is. There was one window unit that I actually had in my room because the dogs sleep by me. Although I felt guilty, and I tried to share by putting a fan in the hallway to create a cross breeze, but my kids would just close their doors, so what are you going to do?!🤨

On Tuesday, July 7th, I got a text from my friend and boss. And I say boss because she knew I was looking for work, and she wanted me to learn a new skill set, so we are working on a project together. She told me something very generous, and I was so overwhelmed with gratitude. But I also worried that I was taking advantage. Then I remembered a Simon Sinek video that I tell people about all the time when I want to do something nice for someone. He basically says, don’t deny me the honor of doing this for you (he was originally talking about wanting people to ask him for help, but it works both ways). I get so much from this. It's easy for me to say that when I'm doing it for someone else, but when someone does it for me, it's a much harder pill to swallow. I realized that's a blind spot, something I need to work on, because letting people love us, help us, and be there for us is just as important as us doing that for them. Anyway, I was processing what she was saying and doing for me, feeling so grateful, and thinking it was too generous. I decided to sit on the fact that I have some truly incredible people in my life and decided to be grateful and stop worrying.🧡

I remembered in the afternoon that my egg lady, had texted me the night before and told me she had seven dozen eggs for me. I texted her, and she said it definitely wasn’t too late and to please come get them. I got there, and she and her husband, who I'm guessing are in their 70s, told me the craziest story. The contractor hadn't screwed on the big vent up above in the roof for the air ducts. A bird had been roosting in there. When the big windstorm came, it blew the bird into the air ducts on the Fourth of July while they were gone to Council, Idaho, watching porcupine races!?! You heard me right or you read that right, I should say. Every year in Council, they catch wild porcupines and race them. They fire quills and no one cleans them up off of the school’s football field for the players. While I was interested, I also felt like that would be pretty scary for those animals, so I do not endorse this. But fascinating regardless. Anyway, the bird in the duct had left them some treats through the vents in the bedroom, bathroom, and hallway. It had pooped quite a bit for a single bird. Every time it would try to get it out, the force of the air would push it back in, so they had to have someone come and get it. They were hoping someone was coming soon to clean out the vents because they were covered in bird poo. I can’t make this stuff up!

I got home, and I was cooking my eggs, which I have probably 90% of the time for dinner. My dog Bear is 13½, and he loves to sunbathe, so he was outside sunbathing. Then he came in, and I gave him some cheese. I noticed Bear wasn't eating it very well, which is a huge red flag.🚩 Then he went back outside, and I looked at him, and he was sunbathing again, so I thought, hmmm, I guess he's okay. But then I checked on him again, and he had thrown up all of his food from four hours earlier. I cleaned it up so Gus (our other dog) wouldn't eat it. But then when Bear came inside, he couldn't jump up, he couldn't walk straight, and he was wobbling everywhere. I don't like to take animals to the vet or humans to the doctor unless someone's dying, but after I sat with him for an hour and a half, I finally decided something was very wrong or at least could be if I didn't do something. My daughter Gwyn went with me to the emergency room, and my son stayed with Gus because we didn't want him to be scared alone. Gwyn and I sat at the emergency vet for four hours. I don't know what was going on. It didn't seem like they were busy, and they weren't moving very fast. But also, we wanted to get good service, and we were appreciative they were available after hours. Long story short, Bear has Canine Idiopathic Vestibular Syndrome, often called Old Dog Disease, which causes sudden, severe balance loss in senior dogs. You could actually see his eyes tracking involuntarily back and forth. While I was trying to hold back my emotions, the vet seemed very happy and relieved. We've been feeding our dogs human food that we make for probably two years, and I think that saved him from far worse things. She said he seemed in great shape and that hopefully he would start to feel better and recover. Our biggest concern was keeping him safe from falling. When Gwyn called my son Vincent, he immediately removed my mattress from the bed and put it on the ground so it would be ready for us.

Wednesday morning, Bear went outside, went potty and pooped. But he was kind of spinning in circles and wobbling everywhere. Then when he came upstairs, we have the stairs blocked off with my box spring to keep him safe. I think he pooped upstairs. But then I was looking at Gus, and Gus looked super guilty, so I don’t know if he just looked guilty because he knew what happened, or if he actually did it. Still a mystery. I asked Gwyn to research the disease, and she said the shot that he got could give him severe diarrhea. Which I’m thinking...I don’t know, but it almost felt like it was doing the opposite of what it was supposed to be doing. Which is fine, but that’s another reason I don’t like to go to the vet or the doctor. It also causes crazy amounts of drool! I stayed home all day because it wasn’t safe for him to be alone. I mean, it said I could put him in a bathroom with a bunch of soft surfaces in case he fell over, but no. Vin got home around 5:15. He had cleaned out the garage one day (yes, I had a clean garage for a day!) and put together a whole workout setup out there. I told him to work out, shower, and then I could go to the gym while he stayed on Bear duty. He said, “I don’t think I’ll go,” and then laid around for about half an hour and then he finally decided to work out, showered, and I left at 7:00. I had only been gone a little over an hour when I got the text, “No rush, Mom, but how soon do you think you’ll be home?”😅 When I got home, Vincent had bought some chicken from Albertsons that had this crazy red breading on it that looked very toxic. He had taken all the breading off, and Bear had started eating the actual chicken, which was huge because he hadn’t wanted to eat all day. Then throughout the evening, he started eating tons of peas. We boil peas and use them as dog treats because they’re low calorie and healthy. That was also really exciting for us because we love our dog so much. After I got home from the gym, and by the way, I only had 15 minutes left of The Boroughs season finale to watch on the treadmill, but I stopped and came home because I knew I would enjoy it more if I wasn’t stressed. I started looking through Bear’s discharge papers. They basically handed us the medication and said, “Here’s some pills,” but as I was reading through everything, I realized there was another over-the-counter medication we could be giving him. It wasn’t a prescription, and it didn’t cause massive diarrhea. I called Gwyn, who was at the gym, and she went to Walmart for me and picked it up. Bear did so well, and he slept great that night. Then when I woke up this morning, Gwyn had cleaned the whole downstairs. It totally made my day!!

July 9th. Bear ate breakfast and lunch! Vin kept texted to be sure he was eating because if not, he was headed for more chicken strips! Bear was still very wobbly, but huge progress.

Now we will revisit Gwyn getting robbed. I had just sat down to work on this Substack and I get this weird Washington phone number calling me, so I rejected it. Then it immediately calls me back, so I thought, well, maybe this has something to do with Gwyn's bank account because I'm still on it. It was her bank, but it was the Nampa branch. Horvin was the employee that called and was excited because something very out of the ordinary was happening at their branch. He was calling to tell me that someone who had similar features to Gwyn but looked kind of rough and maybe was down on her luck a little (his words), had come in with Gwyn's ID, a check, her Social Security number, and was talking about how she needed money to get back to school. She was trying to cash a check for about $2,000. They were talking to the fraud department to see if they were allowed to give me the girl's name. The only reason they didn't cash the check was because someone at the branch recognized the girl and knew she wasn't Gwyn. You can imagine my distress when I couldn't get ahold of Gwyn because she was at school doing a spa treatment on someone. As soon as she called me, we froze all three of her credit reports so no one could apply for credit in her name. Then she called the police, and she was already headed to the DMV to get a new driver's license anyway. After that, she went to the bank, poor girl saw she was missing $3,000 from her account. Afterwards she said, "I don't think they've ever had something so juicy to bite into there. It was buzzing! They were all excited but also felt so bad for me.” They helped her set up a new account. I guess the girl had deposited a check the day before and tried to cash it the next day. Her money in her account was on hold, so thankfully, not missing! After she got everything handled at the bank, she had to call two city police departments, which were both fairly unfriendly. But I reminded her that police don't get appreciated as much as they should, for sure. She was grateful for their help. She asked me when she could unfreeze her accounts, and I was like, "Never." Then I thought, why doesn't everyone freeze their accounts? That way no one can ever sneakily apply for someone's credit, and you can just unfreeze it when you need something. If you think about it, if you freeze your credit, that's the best way to prevent identity theft. No one can get new credit, it doesn't affect your score, it doesn't affect your existing cards, and it's free. So, this is your sign to freeze your credit!

A woman I met at the gym, actually I met her where she works because she recognized me from the gym, but I think she's from Poland. She's gorgeous, has a husband, and her youngest is a sophomore. She had told me recently that she and her husband had a week off and her kids didn't want to go, so they were headed to Glacier National Park in Montana. I told her that a lot of people go missing in national parks and are never found, so I worried about her all week. I was happy to see her again and asked how the trip was. She told me how nervous she was about the grizzly bears and the black bears, and how she had been told what to do for each one because you have to react differently. Her husband's uncle has a house there, and the bears would come drink from the rain chains. The uncle started putting big bowls of water farther away from the house so the bears wouldn't come into the yard. Maybe that's a bad idea, but I guess it's better than having them right by the house. She was afraid to sit out in the hot tub, and every time she looked out the door, she was on edge. She said that right after they left, the bears showed up on the house camera. Anyway, she was talking about the park, and I was gagged, (Gwyn's favorite thing to say, which means shocked), that you have to get online at 7:00 p.m., and within 60 seconds all the shuttle passes sell out if you want to take the shuttle to go hiking. You can drive without reservations, but you can only park for three hours, which isn't ideal if you want to do a long hike. She said at one point she was walking alone with no one in front of her or behind her, but she did have bear spray. I was like, "Girl, you are tempting fate." I personally don't go into the bear's, moose, mountain goat’s (you get the idea) house. Then she showed me a picture of mountain goats standing right next to them, which, after some research, is apparently very dangerous. They seem calm, but if they smell sweat or salt, they can become aggressive and attack. Anyway, thank goodness she's fine. But her nerves were on high alert the whole time. I don't know how much of a vacation that would be for me. I would be super stressed. And sadly, her husband recently shaved his handlebar mustache, which was a fan favorite!

On the 11th, I found myself at a baby shower outside in triple digit weather. Although I will say, there was shade and a breeze, so it wasn't as bad as I thought it could be. I was talking to Angel, telling her, "I really need to text your mom." So I did it. As I'm driving away after the baby shower, I get a message from her mom that says, "Oh, it's our 56th anniversary," and she sends me a picture of this dress with big, bold flowers, midcentury modern, something I would totally love. I did text Angel and ask why she didn't give me an anniversary heads up, and she said, "Ummmmm... I just texted her." 😅 We texted back and forth a little, and I told her how beautiful the dress was and how great she looked. Then I didn't hear back. For a couple of days, I kept thinking, I should see how the anniversary went. The rest of that story will be next week. Listen to your pings, people. If something pops into your head, follow it!!

Gwyn is graduating from aesthetics school next week, and there was a graduation this week for a different class there. A student came into her class and asked everyone if someone would take a picture of her and if someone would hug her at the end because she didn’t have anyone there for her. I guess she had moved here specifically for the school. This is a great example of ‘don’t deny me the honor.’ Gwyn told me they cheered the loudest for her and were all over being supportive for her. She was given a gift by having that whole class support her and it was such a gift for the whole class.🧡

There is always something new to share, so I’m going to stop this life in progress until next time! So much has already happened, you will laugh and unfortunately cry next time, but all the emotions are important to feel or we can’t appreciate any of them!

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Oatrageously Comfort Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/2 cups Truvia Brown Sugar or Swerve Brown Sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 1/4 cups flour

• 3 cups oats

• 1 1/2 cups raisins

• 3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease or line a 10 x 14-inch pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until combined.

4. Add the flour and mix well.

5. Stir in the oats.

6. Fold in the raisins and nuts, if using.

7. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

8. Bake for 14–18 minutes, being careful not to overbake.

9. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Notes

• Do not overcook if you want them soft and chewy.

• Walnuts or pecans are optional, depending on whether you want a little crunch.

OG PB Chocolate Chip Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup peanut butter

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups Truvia Brown Sugar or Swerve Brown Sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups gluten-free flour

• 2 cups healthy chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease or line a 10 x 14-inch pan.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, peanut butter, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt until combined.

4. Add the gluten-free flour and mix until fully incorporated.

5. Fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan.

7. Bake for 12–14 minutes, being careful not to overbake.

8. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Notes

• Do not overbake if you want them soft and chewy.

• Let the bars cool before cutting for cleaner squares.

Laughing Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese (about 2 cups)

• 6 Laughing Cow Light wedges

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup allulose

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup sugar free chocolate chips

• Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a 10 × 14 pan.

3. Blend cottage cheese, Laughing Cow wedges, eggs, allulose, cocoa powder, vanilla, baking powder, and salt until completely smooth.

4. Pour into a bowl.

5. Stir in almond flour until fully incorporated.

6. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts if using.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

8. Bake 24–28 minutes.

9. Do not wait for a clean toothpick. The brownies are done when:

   • The edges are set.

   • The center is no longer liquid.

   • The top is no longer shiny and wet.

   • The center has only a slight jiggle.

10. Cool completely before cutting.

Notes

• Check at 24 minutes for a fudgier texture.

• Bake closer to 28 minutes for a firmer texture.

• Expect a texture between a rich brownie and a chocolate cheesecake bar.

• These continue to set as they cool.

Lemon Kissed Blueberry Bars

• 1/2 cup melted butter

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed or blended

• 3 eggs

• 3/4 cup allulose monk fruit blend

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1 tsp lemon extract

• 2 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 1/4 cups oat flour

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup gluten free 1:1 flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a 10x14 pan.

3. Mix bananas, butter, eggs, sweetener, vanilla, lemon extract, and lemon juice.

4. Stir in oat flour, almond flour, gluten free flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

5. Fold in blueberries.

6. Spread into prepared pan.

7. Bake 28–30 minutes, until the center is set.

Lemon Drizzle

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar free sweetener

• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Whisk until smooth and drizzle over warm bars.

UnBEANlievable Bars

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed well

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup peanut butter

• 1/3 cup allulose monk fruit blend

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Grease a 9x13 pan.

3. Blend everything except the chocolate chips until completely smooth.

4. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

6. Bake for 15 minutes.

7. Remove when the center is just set. Do not overbake.

8. Cool completely before cutting.

Tips

• Don’t skip the salt.

• Let the bars cool completely before slicing for the best texture.

Cruelty Free Marshmallow Fluff (Aquafaba + Agar)

Ingredients

• ½ cup aquafaba (liquid from chickpeas)

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

• ¾ cup allulose–monk fruit blend

• ½ cup water

• 1½ tsp agar powder (not flakes)

• 1 tsp vanilla

• Optional: 1–2 tsp coconut oil (for softer texture and I did use it)

Instructions

1. Whip aquafaba

   • Beat aquafaba + cream of tartar

   • High speed until stiff peaks (like egg whites)

2. Make agar syrup

   • Heat water + sweetener + agar

   • Bring to a boil

   • Simmer 2–3 minutes (this activates agar)

3. Combine

   • With mixer running, slowly pour hot syrup into aquafaba

   • Keep whipping 5–8 minutes until thick and glossy

4. Finish

   • Add vanilla (+ coconut oil if using)

   • Mix briefly

5. Use immediately or set

   • For gooey topping → use right away on warm bars that have been out of the oven for 5 to 10 minutes

   • For cut marshmallows → spread in pan and let set 1–2 hours

Key tips

• Agar sets fast → work quickly

• Allulose keeps it soft (erythritol = gritty)

• This will be lighter and slightly less bouncy than gelatin marshmallow

Raisin the Bar

Soft cinnamon oat bars loaded with raisins and cinnamon chips, with a bakery style texture and cozy cookie flavor.

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups Swerve brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups gluten free oats
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
1 (10 ounce) package cinnamon chips
3/4 cup organic raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x14 pan.

Add the softened butter and brown sugar to a bowl and mix until creamy. Add the eggs and baking soda and mix again. Stir in the oats and flour until combined. Fold in the cinnamon chips and raisins.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, being careful not to overcook. The bars should still look slightly soft in the center when removed from the oven.

Chocolate PB Lava Cupcakes

Rich chocolate cupcakes with a creamy peanut butter center, made with high protein Greek yogurt and almond flour.

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup vanilla high protein Greek yogurt, or 2 Oikos vanilla yogurt cups
2 large eggs
1/2 cup allulose or preferred healthy sweetener
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 cups almond flour
Peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.

Add the melted butter, yogurt, eggs, sweetener, cocoa powder, and baking powder to a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir in the almond flour.

Fill each muffin liner partway with batter. Add a dollop of peanut butter to the center of each cupcake, then cover with the remaining batter.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle with Swerve powdered sugar before serving.

It feels like I get to have my cake and eat it too! Let me know what you think:)