Epic Fail? What Do You Think?

So, tomorrow is the Volunteers' Breakfast at school. All year, they've read with children, organized PTO events, assembled bulletin boards, shown up when teachers were at their wits end, provided Teacher Appreciation Days, and what do we award them with? A pen wrapped in cellophane and a breakfast that will last as little as 15 minutes, as several teachers will have to run to car duty, bus duty, babysitting duty... or maybe as long as 30 whole minutes, as we all need to pick up our children promptly at 8:20 in order to teach the 6 hours of lessons planned within the 3 1/2 hours of actual instructional time allotted to teachers in the 7 hour day the children spend in school. Hmmmmm...

So, tonight (after grading papers), I wanted to do our volunteers right by baking a delicious gluten-free cinnamon pecan bread for the Volunteers' Breakfast. I used the Namaste Gluten-Free Bread Mix and added cinnamon, sugar, raisins, and pecans. Great idea, but then I got preoccupied with...blogging. A little less time on the computer, and it would have turned out perfectly. But the computer desk is a whole floor above the kitchen, and once I smelled the cinnamon, it was a little too late.

A little crispy for a celebratory breakfast, but not too crispy to be sliced, frozen, and made into french toast a few weeks from now.

So who do I turn to when all else fails? I wish I had more of a spiritual answer, but it's Bob.

Bob from Bob's Red Mill, that is. Bob and I are tight. He's been supplying me with gluten-free mixes and flours for five years now. And we are especially close since I met him at the actual mill outside of Portland that bears his name.

Bob's Red Mill is a whole grain store in Milwaukie, Oregon that produces more than 400 products, including a full line of certified gluten free products and an extensive line of certified organic products. Thankfully, I can find Bob's products at my local Whole Foods and Kroger stores.

http://www.bobsredmill.com/

But when I met Bob and thanked him for his dedication to the gluten intolerant community, he sincerely just wanted to know what I was doing at his mill. He loved I was there because of a college roommate reunion.

So, tonight, it was Bob to the rescue. I had a package of gluten-free Bob's Red Mill cornbread mix in the cupboard. I whipped up a batch, spooned the batter into muffin tins, and dotted each muffin with fresh blueberries.

Twenty minutes later, I learned a valuable baking lesson. Always fold the blueberries into the batter, otherwise your muffins look like they're sprouting blueberries.
They aren't pretty, they are definitely cornbread muffins with blueberries floating on top, but nevertheless, they are delicious.

Thanks, Bob.

And if no one else selects them out of the vast array of dishes at our Volunteers' Breakfast, I know at least three people that will enjoy them at the Whiskers' Household over the next few days.

Thank you, Volunteers, for all you do for your children, for your teachers, and for the future of our country. Thank you, Bob, for your vision, for your sweet grandfather spirit, and for your dedication to quality gluten-free products. Thank you, Karen, for showing me that Bob's is more than just a package on my grocery store shelf. (And for being an amazing friend.)

Epic fail tonight? Not a chance.