Gluten-Free Goodies!

We had dinner at Los Potrillo's (again, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, and probably just one of our favorite restaurants ever in general!) with Adam and Jami last night. It was great to see them and catch up a bit...it had been a while since we had hung out the four of us! We had a great time and of course the food was delicious. Jeremy and Adam thought our service was terrible last night (which is very out of the ordinary for Los!), but I didn't even notice. I was just happy to be having a good time with fun friends! I was relieved that I was done working for 12 days, that lunch wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be (thanks to two awesome co-workers, Deb and Christina...our boss was buying us pizza for lunch, but obviously I wouldn't be able to eat it. Deb and Christina ordered me a burrito bowl from Chipotle and went and picked it up so I had something delicious to eat during the holiday lunch and wasn't just jealous of everyone and their pizza! Of course I was still a bit jealous ;), but that's just because I am obsessed with wanting pizza! ;) ), and I had gotten everything done at work that I needed to. It was just a wonderful feeling, and I was very relaxed and ready to have a great evening with Jeremy and our friends.

Also, Jami brought us each a Christmas tin with some goodies she made for us! She made us two separate tins, one for Jeremy with "normal" Christmas cookies and the like, and a gluten-free tin for me! Mine had buckeyes and scotcharoos, both things that I love! I ate some right away last night and I am not ashamed to admit I already ate some today and I haven't even had lunch yet! HA! Half of my leftover meal from Los is in the toaster oven right now heating up for me to eat as I curl up in front of the TV and am lazy for a bit.

I am still in awe of how awesome my friends have been through all of this crappy gluten-less-ness of my life! Jami has been great...especially now with these Christmas goodies! The cookies/sweets part of Christmas has honestly kind of sucked! I know, I know, that's not what Christmas is all about ;). It is still hard, though, to sit by when people are eating delicious looking gluten-ous Christmas cookies and treats! It was nice to have some yummy things of my own to eat. Thanks, Jami! Of course my other friends have been great, too! Sarah has given me TONS of tips (she is a healthy eater and food-purchaser and knew about gluten-free living type things way before I started in on this new lifestyle)...and has made a number of yummy things when we go over to their place. Brooke made a delicious Mexican casserole that she adapted to be gluten free when we visited them in Rockford in November. On December 16th when we had a Youth Leaders' meeting at Josh and Laura's home, Laura made an entirely gluten-free (and DELICIOUS!) meal for all of us there. Jeremy's mom makes me a gluten free meal when we go over there for dinner at least once a week. My mom is making lots of gluten free things for when we visit for Christmas this weekend! Jillian made sure I had things to eat on Saturday when we went to her place prior to her Christmas concert in Peoria (she kept some BBQ pork separate for me so it wouldn't get contaminated, and even bought me some of my favorite yogurt! She also had veggies and hummus I could eat!). I love my friends! I know it's probably such a pain for them...but I am so thankful for their kindness and love!

Yahoo for good food, good friends, and...most of all, Yahoo for CHRISTMAS!!!

PIZZA :(

Ok, so as a holiday celebration...my boss is purchasing Monical's pizza for the employees for lunch today. Darn it all. I would try to pull a "last week" where I just worked through lunch and didn't go...but I actually do want to go and hang out today. I just don't want to SMELL the pizza and I just don't want to WATCH people enjoying it! Darn it all! I am such a scrooge ;)

Pizza?!

Jeremy informed me this weekend that he had a surprise for me...a co-worker told him about a pizza place in Peoria that has gluten-free pizza! Could it be?! He is going to try to find out where this is and if it is, indeed, true....I sure hope so! My hopes are DEFINITELY high up there in the clouds! Pizza is one of my biggest cravings right now. I could go for a slice of pepperoni pan pizza from Pizza Hut right about NOW! Not to mention their awesome breadsticks....ohhhh MAN!

I've been a slacker blogger lately...things have been crazy busy, getting ready for Christmas and all that! I love this time of year, but it gets very hectic and tiring as well!

Better go hop in the shower...it's past bedtime! :)

Take care, all!

Bad Attitude

Well, maybe I just have a bad attitude, but I have a feeling today is going to suck. Today we are having a Christmas dessert exchange over lunch. Yes, you guessed it...I won't be able to eat any of it. Let me reiterate that I feel like SUCH A FATTY when I get all sad about food...like the fat kid who is lamenting a donut s/he can't have. That's not it at all. Food is so social...it's a strange feeling to be the one sitting in a big group of people eating something different or not eating at all.

Maybe even more pressing than that issue, though, is the whole issue of baking. I love to bake. I am a more than competent baker, and I know it. (I am not the most confident person in most areas of my life, but I tend to be rather confident in the baking realm!) People eat my stuff and typically people LIKE it too. Not only do they say they like it (that is just being polite ;)), but they come back for seconds or request whatever it is that they had again. Those are the two true indicators of baking success :). Well, I made some of my Chocolate Andes Mint Cookies...non gluten free of course. I was scared they wouldn't turn out with the gluten-free flour, and I didn't really have time to experiement...so I was a pansy and just did it the old way. Nope, I didn't even lick the batter at ALL! Seriously. I made the dough last night, a huge double batch. I have the first tray of cookies in the oven right now. Hope I'm not late for work! ;) Jeremy needs to bring cookies to work tomorrow and he requested the same cookies, since he loves them and coworkers also talk about loving them. SO, I am going to bake his tonight with the remainder (probably the majority) of the dough.

Yeah, I probably should've made myself something gluten free so I could eat something during the exchange...but, like I said, I'm a pansy!

NOOOOOOO!

I posted a while ago about being pumped up for Oberweis home delivery....well, I signed up for the service online and got something back saying they would contact me within 4 days to set up the service. Since it has been 2 weeks, I decided to call today. Well, the lady on the phone told me I am out of the service area. WHAT?! It told me online that they serve our zip code! I am really, thoroughly disappointed! I think I am going to try later again. The person who referred me lives in Bloomington and they get home service! This really made me sad!

Oh well, life does go on ;)

{ARGH!}

I'm kind of angry today. I've done a good job (I think) of keeping the anger to a minimum and dealing with things quietly...but
I hate food.
I hate hate hate it.
For some reason it seems to be all that people talk about lately.
"Ooh I ate lunch at noodles and company"
"WOW these brownies are amazing!"
"Where should we eat lunch?"
"What are you making for the party?"

etc

"Let's go to Panera!"
"I ate six donuts this weekend" (yes, I really heard someone say this...and no, I am not jealous. That's disgusting! But still annoying ;). I wouldn't do it...it's just the fact that I CAN'T that bugs me)
"I love grilled cheese and tomato soup in the winter"

etc
etc

it grates on my nerves...a constant reminder of things I can't have isn't pleasant.

Oh, and my stomach is messed up today...not sure why. I've been careful, as always!!

Sigh.

The road won't be easy at times, I know...but why does it have to be SO ANNOYING!?

I hate the fact that there is "something wrong" with me...or two somethings, actually (Celiac and vitamin b12 deficiency...although of course that second one really isn't that big of a deal)...Who wants to have a label?! I'm a Celiac. That is just weird.

I would give anything to be "carefree" and not think about FOOD for a day. Who am I fooling!? There hasn't been a day since early on in high school when my thoughts didn't revolve around food. Of course, it was different back then...in high school I was so preoccupied with how I looked, worried about being fat...that I really starved myself. I was borderline gross. Wore a size zero. Seriously. Lunch = one bottle of apple juice and nothing else many days. Yuck! I was preoccupied with what to eat/what not to eat/how I looked. Now it's different. Sure I don't want to be overweight and those thoughts are often plaguing me...but I HAVE to be obsessive about food. I have to premeditate every meal. I have to plan ahead when we eat at friends' homes.

Today is the 51st day of this new adventure.

Can I really go the rest of my life without eating my favorite foods...or at my favorite restaurants again?!
......bread bowls from Panera, Panera's asiago cheese bagels, Panera's asiago cheese croutons, grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup, pesto cavatappi from Noodles and Company, jumbo cheese ravioli from Avanti's, cheddar bay biscuits at Red Lobster, CHRISTMAS COOKIES, 3 muskateers candy bars, cookie dough ice cream, my mom's pumpkin bread, my mom's banana bread, sourdough melts from Culver's, cheese curds from Culver's, mozzerella sticks, cake at weddings/birthday parties, brownies and cake batter ice cream from Coldstone Creamery, fish and chips, pie at Bakers' Square or Village Inn or Denny's or from Jeremy's mom, rolls from Texas Roadhouse, chicken tenders, my mom's taco casserole, corn muffins from Famous Dave's, wraps from Red Robin....

{sigh...}

D-day and Holiday Woes

Well, I had another follow-up doctor's appointment today...and my doctor tacked on the big, "official" diagnosis of Celiac Sprue. Of course I kind of knew it ;), but it was weird-o to see it in writing!
He also showed me results of more bloodwork, showing that I have a B12 deficiency...so I have to take supplements. No biggie there, I guess. He said that could be why I've had the problem with fatigue...but who knows. Everything else, though, was good bloodwork-wise. Thyroid, liver, glucose, and everything else he checked (there were tons, I forgot most!) were all within expected levels. Great!
While it's a pretty weird feeling to be tainted....with a diagnosis of something meaning there is something WRONG with me...it's nice to hae answers...and it is SUCH a BLESSING that it's nothing worse. In the grand ol' scheme of things, this isn't a big deal! It is hard, yes, but not impossible.

The holidays, though, are kind of disappointing as a newly-diagnosed Celiac! Plans are currently in the works for a holiday dessert exchange at work...of course I want to participate, but I am torn! Should I make something gluten free that I can enjoy (it will likely be the only thing there that I am able to eat!), or should I make something "normal" that won't scare people away? I think what I will do is this...Jeremy has a favorite cookie that I bake, these chocolate cookies with Andes mints in them. I will make those and give him half of the batch to bring to work (his coworkers also adore them!) and bring the other half with me to work. Then, I will also bake something gluten free....maybe try another batch of those cookies, substituting gluten-free ingredients? We will see :). Andes Mints are in my gluten free shopping guide! :) Yahoo! So, while it will probably suck that day...sitting around while everyone is eating platefuls of holiday goodies...it won't be too bad. I know I can hold my own in the baking realm ;) so hopefully I'll get some compliments on my cookies...I'll have a little plate of something gluten free prepared for me that I can enjoy...and I can revel in the fact that I am not ODing on calories and sugar like everyone else! ;)

Sigh.

It will be ok! This is only the first of many gluten-free Christmases! It will get easier and it will still be fun. I have to remember not to let this (or anything for that matter!) take away from the TRUE meaning of Christmas...

In other news, tonight we are having dinner at Amy and Tom's and meeting baby Collin! I can't WAIT! I have my crock pot fired up...I am making my second batch of Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup! YUM! I am so excited to see them and to meet their baby! Hope the soup turns out well again the second time around and that it wasn't just beginners' luck last time ;). It should be ok...it's basically just throwing a bunch of cans together, after all! ;)

Great Website and products!

http://www.glutenfree.com/home.aspx
Check out the above website for some great tips on living gluten free! Also available on that websites are a variety of products, including the Glutino brand. A few weeks ago I purchased the Chocolate and Peanut Organic Bars and have eaten them for breakfast. They are tasty!

Today I tried the original crackers with some peanut butter spread on top...they were great!



It's so much fun finding new products that are GLUTEN-FREE, but more importantly ;), taste GREAT! :)

Adventures in Crock-Pot Cooking

So I believe myself to be one who can hold her own in the kitchen...I know the basics, I can cook, bake (I have won 3 bake-offs at my place of employment, pre gluten-free diet), and I basically know what's going on. I am one who can more or less throw things together and have them turn out decent-to-good. However, I am not very adventurous in my cooking. I would like to be more adventurous...but, alas, I am not. I kind of get stuck in a rut, more or less...making the same things, over and over. Jeremy seems to be fine with that...he has pretty simple (childish ;) )taste. However, I want to do more...I want to be more adventurous, AND I want to cook/bake more healthily. Of course, the gluten-free part means that I HAVE to prepare more healthy foods, so that's a blessing in disguise :).

I stopped home for a few minutes this morning on my way back to work from an off-site speech therapy appointment. A few weeks ago I purchased 2 Cornish hens from the grocery store (Tyson brand) and had them thawing in the fridge. Today I decided I'd prepare them for our dinner (and leftovers...we'll use the leftovers for some kind of casserole or something). I found a number of delicious-sounding, however labor-intensive, recipes...however I wimped out. Since I typically work until after 6pm, it's hard for me to prepare labor-intensive dinners. I threw the two hens in the crock pot and covered them with one box of Progresso chicken broth and one box of Trader Joe's vegetable broth. We'll see what happens ;). When I get home from work, I throw some carrots in there for a bit to soften up...and perhaps some potatoes, too. We'll see what happens!!

Have a wonderful day!

Day 45

Today, December 1, 2008, is my 45th day of living gluten free. Crazy! I am still in the infancy of this new lifestyle...learning more every day....but things are, for the most part, going pretty well! Sure, I have cravings for foods that are part of my "old life" (like I expressed in my prior post!)...but for the most part I am happier living the way I am. I know it's healthier, and I know it's better for my body. That doesn't mean it's easy....or fun all of the time. However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have fun sometimes...making new recipes, reading new information; it's all kind of a big puzzling adventure! I do enjoy a challenge...and this is definitely a challenge!

This weekend I had TWO new messages on Facebook from girls I knew in college: one has Celiac disease and the other is gluten free by choice (since it is healthier). Random encounters such as those help me see that I am not alone in this craziness ;). I really am finding out that quite a few of my acquaintances either have Celiac, live gluten-free by choice, or know someone who has Celiac disease. It's kind of crazy! I mean, in my reading I learned that an estimated 1 in 133 people has Celiac in the United States....

I guess, technically right now, I fall into that category of someone who has not been officially diagnosed; someone who is just living gluten-free by choice. I mean, we all obviously have choices every day of how we are going to live our lives...my choice just happens to be somewhat strange and/or unique...I am going to attempt to live as gluten-free as possible. My doctor has strong reasons to believe I have Celiac disease...however he suggested a gluten-free diet prior to getting the biopsy of my small intestine. Based on some of my reading, this was a poor call on his part...since the only way to REALLY know for certain if it IS Celiac is a biopsy...and you need to be eating a "normal" diet for the biopsy to be truly conclusive. SO, in order to have a reliable biopsy, I would need to go back to eating normally for a while. Honestly, I am not sure that it is worth it to me to go back to eating normally, feeling terrible and not knowing when exactly I will need to visit a bathroom! I am fine with having a "possible diagnosis" of Celiac or just generic gluten intolerance. I know how much better I feel...and that it really is probably what has been ailing me for years and years. However, before we decide to have children I plan on having genetic testing. Regardless of the result, I believe I will raise my children gluten free, at least until they are 2. Based on my reading, this is suggested by some people, even for kids who are not gluten intolerant. Human bodies are not made to digest gluten...and no one digests it fully. It's just that some people can tolerate it and some (like me and so many others I am learning about!) can't!

SO, there you have it.

Oh, this weekend I found out that Red Robin has an extensive gluten-free menu! We had lunch there on Saturday before leaving the Quad Cities to come back home. We met up with some of my aunts and cousins...it was a great time! I felt especially wonderful because I had TONS of choices! We will definitely be going back there :). The manager and our waitress were both wonderful...very accommodating and cautious. I totally appreciated it!

Have a wonderful day...it's snowy and nasty here! I have to drive around town to some off-site visits today, here's hoping my car handles the nastiness well!